As Endless As Forever
by moments.in.spring
Summary: AU: Just tell her the truth. That you have no idea who this woman is. That she's a complete stranger to you. "Her name's Rachel. Rachel Hudson. She's… she's my wife." Little did he know that he would later wish that the lie of the century was true.
1. Rachel Hudson

_Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or anything else I mention._

* * *

><p>He's driving in his old, beaten truck with the windows rolled down out in the middle of nowhere.<p>

And if he's being honest, he has _no_ idea where he's going.

According to this super-ancient map of his, Lima is supposed to be less than a mile away. Problem is, he sees no sign of human life _anywhere_. All he sees are trees and grass and well, nature. And more trees. It's way different from life in the big city, that's for sure. He's pretty sure they like, polar opposites.

After what seems like hours, he finally sees an old, wooden sign with the word _Lima_ carved onto it. He follows the arrow and turns right, continuing on the now helluva bumpy road.

After about two miles, he parks right in front of the major's office. Stepping inside, he has a chat with Mayor Figgins, who gives him the keys to his new home.

"So happy you're here Mr. Hudson. Lima's been needing a new mechanic."

He wonders for a moment what kind of problems could a small town like this have, other than coyotes, or creepy old people and what not. Still he shakes his hand and thanks him before exiting to go to his own place.

It isn't much; in fact it's a fraction of the life he used to have. It's roughly the size of an apartment, except the bricks are outdated, and it smells like a tree scented plug-in. Sure, life won't be luxurious as it had once been, but he made this choice. He chose to get away from all that pressure and disappointment. Maybe here in Lima, things could be good. Maybe here is where he finally belongs.

* * *

><p>Lima's super small. He literally met the whole town's population in one day. He's sorta made some friends too. There's the Puckermans, who live just right next door to him, the Evans, as well as Dr. Schuster and his fiancée Nurse Emma.<p>

There's still that part of him that worries about his mom, Burt, and Kurt in New York, but he knows they'll do just fine without him. Besides, here he can actually do something for himself, make a living on his own.

His first job as the town's mechanic is to fix the chicken coop.

It astonishes him that here, they actually have to get their own eggs and milk and they even grow their own food.

He really does try his best to fix it, but coops are not like cars-at all. He freaks out when the chickens break loose and wander out into the streets. He hustles to gather most of them before anyone finds out. Seriously, how embarrassing would that be. Thankfully, he manages to screw the nails correctly this time. Crisis diverted.

That is until he hears an insanely loud and scary crash.

He rushes outside and sees a car crashed into an oak tree. He immediately runs towards it, and is followed by the other townspeople. The tire tracks show an abrupt turn in the middle of the road. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cause. A stray chicken.

Shit.

"Somebody, get that person out of there. I'll go get Doctor Schue." Quinn Puckerman yells from a distance, before running towards the medical center with her child, Beth, in tow.

Puck, her husband, helps him get the driver out of the car. The driver, a woman, is knocked out and is bleeding, badly, but alive.

He can't help but to freeze at the sight of her. He has this feeling, this weird abnormally strong feeling, that's starting to overwhelm him. It isn't a noxious feeling though, like what he would have expected because of the blood and stuff. It's the opposite really. He lets Puck get her out while he analyzes every detail of her. She has a sundress on, with knee socks under her shoes. A weird combination, but he finds it somewhat cute. The last thing that catches his eye is her _Rach_ necklace. He quickly makes the assumption that 'Rach' is short for something. Like Rachel. _Rachel, that's a really nice name. _

Nurse Emma comes first, and everyone backs up to give her space. Everyone except him.

"Oh dear. This doesn't look too good. She's going to need help as soon as possible. Puck, would you be a dear and look through her car to see if there's any trace of who this young lady might be. Do be careful of the glass though."

"Umm… Emms, there's nothing in here," Puck says after rummaging through the woman's car. "Not even a license or anything."

"That's really strange." She says, turning away from Puck to look straight at him.

"Finn, do you know who this woman is?"

He doesn't know why, but he hesitates for a moment.

_Just tell her the truth; that you have no idea who this woman is. That she's a complete stranger to you._

"Her name's Rachel," he blurts out. "Rachel Hudson. She's… she's my wife."

* * *

><p>He doesn't know why he said that.<p>

Scratch that. He doesn't know why a part of him _meant_ it when he said it.

Obviously she isn't his wife, heck he doesn't even know a thing about her. Besides her name, and he isn't even a hundred percent sure her name is actually Rachel.

Still he doesn't know what he's going to do when she wakes up. He's pretty sure he's committed some sort of fraud or something like that.

But he doesn't regret doing it though. She has no source of identification, no wallet, no insurance present with her at the moment. So maybe, if it all works it, she'll wake up, acknowledge his act of heroism, and reward him by not pressing charges or anything. Yeah.

That is if she wakes up.

He's sitting in the tiny hospital on a plastic bench waiting for any type of news. It's perfectly logical to be worried sick right? Well, it was _his_ fault that she crashed into a tree. He's just feeling guilty. That's what it must be, guilt.

"Mr. Hudson, I need you to feel out these things for your wife," the Nurse tells him.

"Oh yeah, sure thing. Thanks." He replies, taking the clipboard and pen from her.

_Last Name; First Name; Date of Birth; Allergies…_

_Crap_. He only fills out the _name_ part before he gives up completely. How is he supposed to pull this off when he doesn't even know a thing about her.

"Umm… Nurse Emma. I'm sorry but, I'm still in shock with what happened to my wife and everything, so… you we maybe… put this off until later?"

"Of course. However I must know, does she have any known allergies?" He shakes his head no, praying his right. "Good. Oh and by the way, just call me Emma. You can drop the whole nurse part of it. We're all one big family here in Lima."

"Cool. Uh, you can just call me Finn too." He smiles earnestly, exhaling a deep breath as she walks away.

"I didn't know you had a wife." He jumps as he hears Puck's voice come out of nowhere.

"Dude you scared the shit out of me. Yeah… I do have a wife. Rachel."

"Then why haven't we met her before? Why didn't you tell us you were married, hmm? Or better yet, why is it that neither of you have rings?"

"Dude, will you cut it out? She stayed back in our old home for a couple of days… just to… just to… make sure everything was good with the… the renters! Yeah, the renters of our house. I came first with all our stuff, to like get everything situated and stuff before she came. As for our rings? Well, we eloped, and we didn't think rings were necessary just yet." He nervous and his palm are starting to sweat like hell. He wasn't cut out for this kind of stuff.

"I don't know bro, it's all just a bit fishy to me. I mean when Quinn got into a car accident I didn't just stare at her."

"Look, why else do you think she would come to this cow town." He said more rudely than intended, immediately regretting his words.

Just as Puck began to open his mouth Doctor Schuester comes out of the operating room.

"Good news Finn. She's stable, she had a minor head trauma, so we'll need to check on that before she wakes up."

"Oh thank God doc." He said relieved. "Well… we don't have insurance, but don't worry. I'll pay for every penny." Taking out his wallet, he gave the doctor his debit card.

"Oh, you're one of those city boys." Puck sneered.

"_Was_. I was."

* * *

><p>He stays at the hospital overnight in case she wakes up.<p>

He doesn't her to wake up with he's at home, because he doesn't want Emma or Doctor Schue to find out he's been lying to them without him there. No, he wants to be the first person she sees when she wakes up. That way, he can explain the situation to her in person.

Except he isn't.

He just got back from the cafeteria when Doctor Schue tells him that she finally woke up.

The doctor has a serious face that makes him super nervous. Did she tell him? He's hands start to get clammy again and his starts to tense up. "What's wrong?" he asks.

"I think it's better if I just show you."

As Doctor Schue leads him into Rachel's room, he takes a giant breath. He mentally prepares a speech in his head, to justify his actions. He did pay for her operation after all. He just hopes that she isn't one of those divas who have a rich lawyer dad, because if she is, then he's screwed.

But totally forgets his speech the moment he sees her.

She's sitting up on the hospital bed with Emma holding her hand and talking to her.

"And this," Emma tells her, "is your husband Finn."

She slowly turns her head in his direction and her gaze meets his.

She's just so… so _beautiful_.

Every single feature of hers is beautiful, her mouth, her hair, her nose.

He's seen her before, in this bed, but now, now that he see her eyes, her dark brown lively eyes, he finally gets that complete picture of her.

He expects her to yell, shriek, or even throw something at him.

But she doesn't.

Instead, she breaks into a mega huge smile.

"Oh thank God," she breathes, "he's handsome."

* * *

><p>Amnesia.<p>

That's what Doctor Schue is telling him. Apparently, she can't remember a thing about her life. All of sudden, she woke up, not remembering a thing- not her parents, her career, nothing. He probably knows more about her, than she does herself. And that's saying something.

To make it worse, the doctor has no idea how long it will take before she does gain her memory back, that is if she ever does.

He doesn't know what to do.

When he came to Lima, he never expected to get a 'wife' in the lapse of a week. How is he supposed to help her gain her memory back if he doesn't know her either?

He doesn't even know how to be someone else's husband. After she's discharged, she has to have a place to stay right? He has to get her clothes and feminine products and all that. Just the thought of it freaks him out a little. Or a lot.

When Doctor Schue and Emma leave, he gains the courage to sit down next to her.

"Hey you," he says, as if he was talking to an old friend, not a complete stranger.

"Hi," she replies. He'll admit, it's not the greatest first conversation ever.

"I know this must be hard on you," she says, breaking the silence.

"Me?" he asks surprised. It's not like he's the one in a hospital bed with no memory.

"Yeah," she states, "I mean, it must be hard, having your wife not know who you are. Knowing that I have to memory of us, or our legacy. I don't remember our first date, kiss, or the day that you proposed. Or even our wedding day. I don't even remember the most important day of our lives, the day that we promised each other forever."

_That's because we never did do all that._

"Everything in my head, it isn't fuzzy, or even pounding. It's just all gone; it's like my head is empty," she continues.

"I am so sorry Rach," he honestly says, not missing the way she smiles when he said 'Rach'.

"Look Finn," she says, taking his hand. Immediately, with the contact, he gets that feeling again. Only this time, there's no doubt about it. It's a sensational tingle that his nerves sent all throughout his body. The look on her face tells him she feels it too. "Just because whatever we have is gone here," she continues, moving their joined hands to her head, "doesn't mean that it's gone here," she says, now moving their hands to her beating heart. Her pulse matches his, its thumping loud and fast. "When I first saw you Finn, my heart literally leaped. I didn't even have to know you were my husband, I could just feel it. We can get through this, together," she finishes.

It all sorta makes sense to him now. Why he impulsively called her his wife. He understands what she's talking about, because well, he felt the same way too. There's just something about her that makes him feel different, in a special way.

"For better, or for worse," he replies.

TBC

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><p><em>AN: Just so you know, I intentionally made Lima an isolated tiny little province. Anyways, thank you all for reading the first chapter. Please let me know what you guys think about it and if you have and suggestions! <em>

_Bear in mind that what I write about amnesia may not be factually correct, but is used for the plot's sake._

_Oh, I literally just made a new twitter account under this name (with no periods in between), so go follow me! That is only if you want to, though I practically have no followers :( I do want to follow you guys too! :D_


	2. Falling

He feels obligated to visit her everyday while she's at the hospital. He figures staying by her side the entire time would be something that a good husband would do.

The last thing he wants to do is make her feel worse about her situation, and what she really needs right now is just somebody she thinks she could trust. He still remembers the time he had to go to hospital because of a broken arm. Back when he was still a child, and everything was a lot simpler. He remembers feeling scared to death, and how he nearly hyperventilated if it wasn't for his mother. Rachel needs that. That figure of warmth and 'familiarity' during a time of darkness.

So he easily takes a little vacation off work (not that Lima desperately needed him anyways) and practically lives in the hospital.

He actually doesn't mind staying in the hospital. It's the perfect opportunity to get to know the woman who is supposed to be his wife. He might as well make the most out of this experience and support her. At least until she gets her memory back. Until then, he'll be there for her, because that's exactly what his head is telling him. For once, something he's doing actually feels right. And he's happy to report that with each passing day, she becomes slightly more comfortable around him. He's glad he can provide some type of security.

They don't really talk about her past, at least not yet. She'd sometimes try to casually and subtly bring it up, but he'd just brush it off. He decides it's a bit too soon to try to jog her memory, so right now he focuses on just getting her sheltered in the present.

He could tell she gets bored easily, as if she wasn't meant to be bottled up in a tiny building.

"I brought you something," he says as he walks in the third morning of her awakening, seeing that the night before Rachel kicked him out to go back home to relax.

"Please don't tell me it's another bear. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that Emma's going crazy rearranging all the gifts you keep getting me. Did you know that she used to have OCD? It's incredible how she ended up being a nurse. I guess Doctor Schue is that good."

"No it's not a bear this time," he chuckles, having bought her practically everything from the gift shop. "And it isn't a card this time neither."

"Thank goodness," she says, eyes brightening as she sits up. "So what is it then?"

He proudly displays his box of colored pencils and coloring storybook. "We're having an coloring day today!"

"You got me a coloring book? Finn, I may have lost my memory but I'm not five years old."

"Trust me, it'd be fun!"

It's pretty ironic, the fact that he's asking her to trust him when he's basically lying to her. But like always, he brushes off that terrible feeling in his conscious and continues to build his tower of lies.

"You know what? You were right, this is nice," she admits after a half hour mindless coloring. "It's a great way to take my mind off things and just relax. It's like being a kid again, so carefree and innocent. Granted that I don't remember my childhood of course, but the thought is nice." Finishing up her Princess Belle page, she takes a moment to admire her work. "You know what? I think Belle just may have been one of my favorite princesses."

He sheepishly crumples his coloring of the Beast. He somehow managed to make him look even more ferocious than intended. Of course Rachel would be perfect at coloring. Then again, who wouldn't be? He's like one of those little kids who just can't seem to color inside the lines. It has to be one of the simplest things in the world, and he can't even do that right.

"Why'd you crumple it?" she asks.

"Because it sucks," he simply states.

She shakes her and and grabs it from his hand. Uncrumpling it, she gasps. "Finn... it's... it's..."

"Ugly. It's looks like crap."

"Don't say that! It's, special, unique... It's like the Beast himself! He may look a bit horrendous on the outside, but on the inside..."

"You're just saying that."

"I am not! Look, I'm being honest here. Let's think about this for a moment. You see these lines? Let's just say these lines represent society's expectations. You colored beyond that. Without knowing it, you ignored what society thinks of you and did what you felt was right."

"No, it's not that, I just can't color."

"Stop that nonsense!" she snaps. "Let's look at this again. Who told you that you have to color inside the lines? The way I see it, these lines are just there to guide you, to give you an idea. If all of us colored inside the lines, there would be no individuality." Straightening his paper with her hand, she tapes it up on the wall.

"See! Now, I'm not saying that you're the greatest artist in the world, I'm just saying you have to stop belittling yourself. You were meant for great things, Finn."

He takes a moment to observe her sincere face before smiling widely at her. No one has ever thought to highly of him. Sure his mom was encouraging, but he knows she wanted him to take over the tire shop business just as much as Burt did. He'd just never seen someone look at him the way Rachel is right now. His heart is practically soaring, and he could tell that she meant it. It's amazing how even without her memory, Rachel's like the smartest person he's ever met.

"Thanks Rach," he says, placing his hand on her arm. They haven't really had much skin contact since they held hands, and she seems to enjoy the simple gestures like this. Sometimes the most simplest things convey the most meaning. Just the fact that he's comfortable enough to mindlessly touch her means something to him.

"That's what I'm here for," she replies. "I should really be thanking you though."

"For what?" he asks, a bit confused on what he did for her, other than use his parent's money on her.

"For not leaving me. It really means a lot to me that you're here. It's makes everything a lot more, reassuring you know? Everything's a lot less scary knowing that you're here."

"Rachel, I promise you, I am not going to leave you." He means it too, because whether or not he'd like to admit it, he knows the moment she gets her memory back, she's the one who is going to be leaving him.

Taking his hand in his, she looks up at him with a serious face, "I will my memory back Finn. Don't you worry."

He swallows the huge lump in his throat as he nods. This is, he's more afraid of what happens when she does get her memory back, because when that does happen, he'll have to pay the consequences.

* * *

><p>When she's discharged, he takes her out shopping to the nearest mall which is like an hour away. They've a pretty fun week filled with coloring, exploring the hospital, telling jokes, and honestly, he doesn't remember the last time he was this <em>happy<em>. But now it's time to face reality and continue playing the role he has bestowed upon himself.

He has to buy her clothes and that other stuff she needs, because right now she's wearing Quinn's old clothes, much to the suspicion of Puck.

He sees her trembling as she rides in the car, which is understandable considering the last time she was in a car (practically six days ago) she ended up in the hospital. He guesses that now isn't the right time to tell her about the time he nearly killed a mailman back when he was still learning how to drive.

He doesn't know what to say to her. They haven't really had their inevitable discussion about "their past" since she woke up, and he doesn't even know where to begin. He doesn't want to _lie_ to her, but that's exactly what he's doing. He's lying to her, to everyone in Lima; he's even lying to himself.

The crazy part about all this is that he doesn't mind having Rachel as a wife. It's insane. He barely even truly knows her. Sure he enjoyed the past few days he's known her, but that doesn't mean his seen the person who Rachel really is. But maybe that's a good thing. Maybe they can both learn more about who she is, together.

"How about some music?" he asks, hoping to break the silence and calm her nerves.

"I'd like that," she nods.

It takes him a while to find a station, but after fumbling with the knob a little, he finally finds a station.

_The first time, ever I saw your face_

_I thought the sun rose in your eyes_

"I like this song," she says.

"Yeah, it's nice," he replies.

"Do you believe in that, Finn? Do you believe that it's possible to feel that much, just by looking at a person?" she asks him.

He pauses for a moment, "I think... it's possible."

She doesn't say anything though, she tap her hands against thigh and absorbs every lyric. It's as if the music is speaking to her.

He does takes a moment to look at her. The sun is beaming on her hair, and he can perfectly see every feature of hers. It feels like every time he looks at her, he feels something more powerful tug at his heart than the last.

He was never one to believe in that kind of cliche stuff. But now, looking at her, it's like he's having some sort of revelation. Maybe, that kind of cliche stuff does exist, because for once, it seems _cool_.

He bravely grabs her hand and laces it with hers. She turns to look at him and shows him her mega-watt smile, which he returns with his classic half-smile. She slowly strokes her thumb against their intertwined hands and their hands stay like that for the rest of the ride. He can't help but to think about how perfect her hand fits in his, even if her hand is tiny compared to his.

He's falling for her, he's falling for her fast.

He's just not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

><p>This is a very bad thing.<p>

Outside the hospital, he learns right away that Rachel is sort of a demanding and intense person. She wants everything to be perfect, and is a bit overdramatic. Well, very overdramatic. Thing is, he finds all that attractive. Even her knee socks and sweaters with animals on it.

She insists that she trys on the clothes that he's buying her (which is a lot, considering he's buying her an entire wardrobe). He didn't know that meant going _inside_ the dressing room with her. Apparently, she's too shy to go outside the stall to show him, but she isn't shy to change right in front of her.

As if she can read his mind, she gives him some reassurance. "Well, you are my husband. Obviously you've seen me with much less than a tank top and underwear. I figured that the sooner I can adapt and be comfortable around these types of things, the sooner I can get some of my memory back."

Only, he hasn't seen her like this before, and he isn't so sure he's comfortable himself, because right now, he's totally turned on.

She's currently standing right in front of him worrying her cuts and bandages from the accident, and it frustrates him how little she thinks of herself. Does she not know how beautiful she is? Wasn't she the one who was telling him not to belittle himself? Now here she is, insecure about herself. He tells her the truth: that she is absolutely beautiful. She blushes and bites her lips before she attacks him with a hug, her hands lingering on his chest as she pulls away.

He knows the only reason she's so currently free around him is because she thinks he's her husband. Evidently, he gained her trust, and now she is determined to think that this new exposure would bring back her memory. There's no way she would be doing this if she knew who he really was to her: a stranger. Guilt starts to overcome him as he starts to worry about what actually would happen if she did get her memory back. Surely, this would be an even worse predicament than before.

He shouldn't be doing this; he shouldn't be letting her do this. She has another life, people who miss her and are probably worried sick about her. For all he knows, there could be another man who owns her heart. This is beyond wrong. He has to put a stop to it before it gets too far.

"Rachel…" he starts while they're walking back to the car.

"Hmm…?" she responds, turning to look at him.

It was a mistake for him to look back at her. All it took was one look at those two dark brown eyes for him to change his mind. He doesn't _want_ to let her go so soon, not yet. Not when she has no memory, and nowhere to go. He'll at least wait for her to get her memory back before he lets her go. Until then, he'll dial it down and distance a bit, just to ensure that no one gets hurt when it's all over.

"It's nothing," he brushes of, "let's go home."

TBC

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><p><em><em>I just want to thank you all for the response from the first chapter! Once again, I'd love to hear what you guys thought about it or if you have any suggestions. <em>_

_Next chapter we'll see Rachel's perspective._


	3. Strangers

_AN: Just a little heads up, since this one's told under Rachel's perspective, so do bear in mind that she honestly thinks she is Finn's wife._

* * *

><p>Rachel Hudson cannot believe how lucky she is.<p>

Sure, she wouldn't call losing her memory 'lucky,' but she is however, lucky to have a man as _amazing_ as Finn for a husband.

When Emma first told her that she was married, she couldn't help but worry. Heck, for all she knew, her husband could be a serial killer, an abuser, or a even a plain-old weirdo. This person, a man she has no memory of, was practically her only hope of getting her memory back. According to Emma, he's was the only one who knew her at the time of her accident. So she's literally is a stranger to everyone else here in Lima, everyone including herself. Everyone _expect_ her husband, whom she had yet to see.

The moment she did see him, however, was unlike anything she had ever anticipated. There was something buzzing in her heart, and for a second, it felt like time had stopped. It was like she and that tall, adorable man, were the only two people on earth. She knew, right then and there, that he was her soulmate.

Emma told her that it's common that people with amnesia have trouble coping and adjusting to their lifestyle before the accident, relationships included, and that she should just gradually adapt to these changes.

She sees it differently. In her opinion, the fastest way to get her memory back would be to just go straight this new experiences and learn from there. It easy to do that too, because Finn has got to be the sweetest guy in the world. He practically does everything for her; in fact, he's one of the major reasons why she's so fixed on getting her memory back right away. She wants to remember their life together, how they fell in love, she's dying to know. That feeling she's getting whenever she's with him isn't _new_ to him. She wants to remember, so badly, and she's willing to do anything to remember.

So now here she is, moments away from entering their home after shopping date. This could be it! Surely they have pictures, photo albums, and relatives to call whom can help her obtain some sort of memory back, or at least, answer the millions of questions that are currently ringing in her head.

The anticipation is killing her as she watches Finn unlock the door and slowly turn the doorknob. When he opens the door wide enough so that she could see it, she gasps.

It's practically empty.

There are boxes everywhere, still sealed and just waiting to be unpacked. The walls are brick, bare, and lack a wedding portrait. Their home itself is pretty small itself, and nothing like she was expecting. Despite the fact that they live in Lima, she never expected that their home would be this _simple_, especially based off the amount of money Finn has been spending on her.

"Well, umm… welcome home!" Finn says, scratching the back of his head.

"Finn, why does our home... look nothing like a home?"

"Well, you know how we just moved here right? We're still getting adjusted and stuff."

"Where are all of my things?" she asks as she notices a lack of items that pertain to her.

"They're umm… back in our old home. That's why we had to buy you new clothes." he says nervously.

She's about to ask why she didn't bring anything when she was driving here, but she stops herself, and wonders for a moment if her questions are making _him_ uncomfortable. A dreaded feeling starts to swell up in her chest. She should _know_ the answers to all these questions, but she _doesn't_. So she drops it, figuring that he'll tell her sooner or later and she'll find out the answers eventually.

"Okay, so, just make yourself at home. We can go arrange your clothes and start organizing things if you want."

"Yes, of course," she smiles at him, but he doesn't return her gaze. She been noticing that he's been distant a lot since they left the mall, and she can't help but feel that she's done something wrong.

While he builds the new dresser he bought her outside, she opens and shuffles through the boxes for an album, hoping that a visual image would help provoke some type of memory or epiphany. However, with each unsuccessful box her, hope diminishes and eventually she realizes that they don't have any pictures here.

Instead she takes Finn's stuff out of the boxes and organizes them. By the time he's finished building her dresser, their little brick house already feels like a home.

"Wow Rach! You did this?" he asks, amazed at the drastic change. She starts smiling as she sees the Finn she thought she knew, not the distant one. "This is incredible! Thank you!" he smiles at her, clearly he did not expect her to organize his stuff in addition to hers.

"Of course, I mean this is our home, and it is only right that we make it feel like one," she says as she leans in to touch his arm, but immediately his smile fades and he takes a few steps back from her.

"Well you did an amazing job," he says after clearing his throat.

She frowns at his lack of response. How is she supposed to adjust back into her old lifestyle when he's suddenly acting like this? It most certainly was not _her_ fault that she lost her memory. It is very ironic how she came here hoping to have her questions answered, but now all she has is a thousand more.

"Thanks," she says. "It's getting late," she says looking outside, seeing the sun begin to succumb to the night.

"It's like, 7'oclock," he replies, confused.

"We did have a rather long day, and truth be told I'm still a bit weary from the accident." She hopes that her husband's sudden change in demeanor is only due to his level of stress, which certainly a good night's sleep in her arms could fix.

Ever since she saw him, she's been wondering what it would feel like, holding him, kissing him… all they've really done was hold hands. That's something you do with a _friend_, not your spouse. At least tonight, they finally have the chance be alone in the privacy of their home to get reacquainted with one another.

"Okay. You're right, I think it's for the best that we go to sleep," he says after a few moments, oddly sounding relieved, as if he thinks sleeping would help him avoid something.

She tries to ignore the fact that he locks the door when he goes to the bathroom, and the fact that he brings out separate blankets for them to use. But when he starts putting sheets on their tiny couch, she loses it.

"Did I do something wrong Finn? Did I upset you in any way? I don't understand why you're acting like a stranger towards me! Last time I check, I was your _wife_. Can you please give me a reason why all of a sudden, you're acting so cold to me?"

His expression begins to soften at her words. "Look Rach, I'm doing this for you. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just trying to make you as comfortable as possible. You technically only met me six days ago. I don't want you to rush into things just because that's the way it was before the accident."

"But what if it helps me get my memory back?"

"You'll get your memory back Rach, you just have to be patient. We'll take our time and handle this situation slowly, okay?"

One of the few things Rachel Hudson is sure of is that she wants a lot of things, badly, and right now the one thing she wants is memory back. While she may not agree with him, she's just going to have to trust him. After all, he is her husband, he should know what's best for her.

"Okay," she agrees. "But I'm taking the bed."

"That was the plan," he jokes, managing a little smile.

"Goodnight Finn," she says as she settles herself into the bed, which is literally five feet away from the couch, considering the size of their home.

"Goodnight Rach, sleep well."

God she loves it when he calls her that.

Despite being a little tired, she can't fall asleep right away. She has too many questions still floating around. Instead, she plays with the _Rach_ necklace she's been wearing ever since the accident.

* * *

><p>She didn't know that 'taking our time' really meant making no development at all.<p>

It's been three weeks since her accident, and all Finn has told her about her past is that she 'had a good childhood' and that they eloped. While that explains their lack of wedding rings and wedding photos, it doesn't create a clear picture of who she is, or rather the person she was before the accident.

She's afraid she's losing him.

Clearly the person she currently is isn't the person Finn Hudson married. She's probably a stranger to _him_. That's probably why he's so cautious around her. It shouldn't have to be like that. They _married_ for heaven's sake. For richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, all those vows that come along with marriage, they _promised_ each other.

Now it's like he's intentionally _avoiding_ her.

It's almost as if he's scared to talk to her, like he's afraid he's going to say the something wrong.

She hates how he's so cautious around her.

Sometimes she sees it. Those brief moments when he looks at her like she's the most precious thing on earth. Or sometimes, when they do converse, they both get carried away, and can easily talk for hours if they wanted. These are the rare moments when she sees _her_ Finn.

It's been hard these past few weeks. She spends most of her days at home, watching Netflix on their television, which is probably the most high quality and expensive item in their entire household. When she's not watching romantic movie classics, she's being a good wife and cooks for her husband. She learned right away she is _not_ a meat person, but unfortunately, her husband loves it.

He's been working at lot more, trying to make up for the week she was in the hospital, so she hardly sees him anyways. To help ease her loneliness, she spends time with the other people in Lima. They really are all one big family, and it feels so good to finally become a part of that. Within time, they stopped being strangers, and she started developing growing friendships with them.

She just wishes the same would happen with Finn.

But maybe that's only because the people in Lima never knew her before the accident; Finn did.

* * *

><p>It's a bit unfortunate that she has to spend one of Finn's rare days off babysitting Beth, the daughter of their neighbors, the Puckermans, but she'd gladly do it for her friends in need.<p>

She's developed quite an interesting friendship with Quinn, considering how they both were involved in a car accident. While she had memory damage, Quinn had physical damage. Puck on the other hand, annoys her to no end. He constantly asks her questions about her and Finn, questions that she still has no answer to.

Still, she agreed to babysit their daughter while they celebrated their anniversary, leaving Finn alone at home.

About thirty minutes after Quinn and Puck left, she finds herself with a crying Beth, whom had just woke up from her nap.

"Oh sweetheart don't cry!" she coos, picking up the little toddler out of her bed, swaying the toddler back and forth.

She then tries handing Beth every single toy in her toy chest, but each one either gets pushed away or thrown back at her.

After another twenty minutes of failed attempts to comfort Beth, Rachel decides she needs a hero's help.

"Finn!" she yells, knocking on their front door, trying to compete with Beth's screams. "Open up! I forgot my keys and I need you're help! It's an emergency!"

Within a few seconds the door opens revealing a panicked Finn. She can't help but to briefly think how cute he is with bed head. She wonders for a moment how he was able to sleep with Beth crying, then she feels guilty for waking him up.

"Rachel! What's wrong? Why is Beth crying?"

"I don't know Finn! She's not wet, she's not hungry… I don't know what she wants! I don't what I'm doing Finn! Please, help me."

"Of course," he says, taking Beth from her arms, leading them back to the Puckermans' home.

"Did Quinn or Puck tell you anything about some type of special way to get her to stop?" he says once they get settled back inside.

"No," she says, shaking her head. She herself begins to sob as Beth's cries only grow louder.

"Hey, hey, don't cry! We don't need another person crying now do we?" he half jokes as he tries to comfort her without any hesitation.

"Finn, she just won't stop! Not only are we terrible babysitters, but we're going to be terrible parents too!"

"That's not true! Look, she's probably only crying because she misses her parents."

"Well can you blame her? I don't even know my parents, or anything else about my life. You have no idea how frustrating that is! I mean, I can still recite Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and other worthless crap teachers probably made us recognize, but I don't even know who my parents are. You haven't exactly been any help to me, and…" she stops as she sits on the couch breaks down, having no regret that she just confessed what has been on her mind the entire time since she got out of the hospital.

Coming straight to her aid, Finn sits on the couch right next to her and begins to stroke her back in an effort to comfort to comfort her. "I know… I know… I've been horrible to you and I haven't even told you a thing about the past. But honestly, I don't know much about your childhood. Let's just say our past was a taboo subject for the both of us."

"But what about us, and our history?" she sniffs.

"Well I..." he begins before he is interrupted by Beth, who is tugging at the end of his jeans. Picking the toddler, Finn places her in the middle of both of them. Beth, who snuggles up against the two of them, slowly stops crying.

"Booboo," Beth says, pointing at the red spot on her knee.

"It's a bug bite," Rachel says, wiping away the rest of her tears. "Quinn told me she played outside before her nap, so she probably got it then. Poor little girl, it must be very itchy. Hold on, let me get some ointment for it."

Unfortunately, in a haste to get the antibiotic ointment and bandages from the first aid kit, she accidentally scrapes a bit of skin on her hand against the brick wall of the house. Sucking in the pain, she quickly tends to Beth.

"There we go," she says, kissing her knee. Beth smiles, showing her gratitude, before going to play with her toys.

"You got a booboo too, Rach," Finn says as he gets the first aid kit. Kneeling right in front of her while she sits on the couch, he gently takes her scraped hand and tends to it. She uses the opportunity to stare at him. He has the cutest freckles on his nose, a couple moles on the side of his face, and two pure autumn eyes. She's tempted to grab his face and just stare at him, forever if she has to. This is her Finn. Her heart is thumping so loud, and forgets to breathe whenever he looks up at her. When he's finished, he kisses her bandaged hand looks her straight in the eye. "All better."

She can't help but to think that was a metaphor.

"And for the record," he continues, "I think you'd make a perfect mother."

* * *

><p>"Hey Rach?" he calls out later at night while they're in their respective sleeping arrangement.<p>

"Yes?" she replies.

"Are you happy? Here in Lima, I mean. Are you happy here?" he asks.

She thinks about it for a moment. "I'm _content_ here Finn. I'm necessarily saying I love it here, in this, as Belle calls it, 'a provincial town', but I do love the people here."

"I was happy today," she continues softly after a moment of silence. "After Beth stopped crying of course. I had fun spending time with you." She smiles as she remembers how he stayed to help her. It was almost surreal, playing house with him. It was like it was a glimpse into their future.

"I was pretty happy today, too," he admits, making her heart swell as she gains a new confidence.

"I know we agreed to take it easy, but you don't have to be a stranger."

It's silent for a moment. "Okay," he says softly.

"I have a check-up appointment with Doctor Schue tomorrow. Do you think you can come?"

"I'll be there."

* * *

><p>He sits next to her while they're waiting for Doctor Schue, and it isn't until she starts trembling that he takes her hand in his.<p>

True to his word, she notices that he was been a lot more open towards her. That morning, he cooked _her_ breakfast and laughed over the silliest things. He's still a bit cautious towards her, and she figures that's okay, because now she's slowly getting to know exactly who her Finn Hudson is.

Doctor Schue has Finn wait while he uses some fancy machine to check out her brain.

While she's sitting on the examination chair alone, waiting for Doctor Schue comes back with the results, she can't help but to think that thing's are finally getting better. She has friends, people who care about her, and of course, she's slowly building her relationship with Finn. The only thing she needs now is her memory back.

She sits up a little straighter when Doctor Schue re-enters the room, confused as to why he isn't smiling like usual.

"Mrs. Hudson," he says in a soft voice. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Bad news? Oh no. <em>

_It's back to Finn's perspective next chapter, which will hopefully explain his actions in this chapter._

_Thank you all for your support!_

_Review! :)_


	4. Ananth and Zyanya

She's been silent the entire ride back home.

Sure, the hospital is only a couple minutes away, but the fact that she isn't her normal bubbly and cheerful self, worries him.

Ever since her appointment with Doctor Schue, she's been in this depressed funk of hers.

Whenever he asks her questions or tries holding a conversation with her, she replies with a lazy gesture or a one word answer like '_okay'_ or '_fine'_.

This only mean two things. Either Doctor Schue said her excessive talking wasn't good for her head (because honestly, sometimes he himself gets a headache whenever she uses big words), or she knows the truth. He thinks it's more of the latter.

He doesn't like Rachel's sudden change in mood at all. While he is nervous about the possibility of her knowing that he's not actually her husband, he's more concerned about the fact that she isn't acting like _Rachel_. She's supposed to be this intense, energetic yet graceful small woman, not someone who just stares out the window into emptiness.

It sort of reminds him how he was acting up until recently.

He hated lying to her, he absolutely hated it. With each lie, his stomach churns and he felt like crap. He can't stand looking at her whenever he lied to her, because every time he did, her face glows. Like hearing about her past means the world to her, and it's all a lie.

He hated reminding himself that she wasn't his actually his wife. There were times when he would just stare at her, thinking about how beautiful she was. Plus, being married was pretty awesome. His heart would beam at the sight of it, his clothes and hers on separate sides of the closet, two toothbrushes in the bathroom, it was all too good to be true. Rachel's like, the best wife ever. Except she isn't his wife. It's just so hard to remember that. It's almost as if, she was _meant_ to be his wife. He tries to remember that she has her own life, and this is just temporary. Just temporary.

He hated avoiding to her prevent falling for her. It was an unnatural task for him. It was like something was pulling him towards her, and every time he tried fighting it, the mysterious pull just made him like her even more.

It's like it's impossible for him not to fall for her even more.

That's why he stopped trying to fight it.

There's a reason why she came into his life. It's not like he takes in every woman with amnesia he meets as his wife. Right from the beginning, he was drawn to her. She's an angel, sent from above to save him, to give him direction. And who was he to argue with the heavens?

And all this doesn't all have to be a lie. Maybe, there could be some truth to his words in the future.

He's doesn't know a thing about her, but he's learning. That why he knows that this is not her. He promises himself right then and there that he'll do whatever it takes to make her happy again.

* * *

><p>They've been parked outside their house for four hours now, just sitting there in silence.<p>

He allows her time to think as he watches the sky turn from light blue to an almost grey blue as the sun begins to set.

He tries to ignore the fact that he's starving, shivering, and desperately needs to use the bathroom, because he just wants to be here with her, even if it is in silence.

He gets the courage to look at her in the face for the first time since they got in the car. Feeling his stare on her, she turns away from the window to look straight at him.

He realizes now that she looks more _scared_ than anything.

He doesn't know how long they spend just looking at each other. There's a longing, in both of their eyes, though he's not sure of what.

His stomach breaks the silence and he mentally curses his body.

To his surprise, she laughs.

"Come," she says, gesturing with her hand to follow her. "Let's go down and fix up some food."

So she doesn't know about his lie. Then what is it? What's bothering her? What did Doctor Schue tell her?

Once they're inside, she goes straight to the kitchen and prepares dinner, as if nothing was wrong. As if they didn't just spend four hours in the car, and didn't have an appointment with Doctor Schue. She's acting the same way she did yesterday and the days before.

But he knows what she's doing.

She's withholding it from him, almost like she's scared of what happens if she does tell him what happened. He can see right through her little act. She's an incredible actor, he'll give her that. Maybe she could fool a stranger, but not him.

She tells him nonchalantly that dinner may take a while. For some strange reason, he doesn't feel that hungry anymore. While she absent-mindedly washes the dishes she used for preparation, he gets that pulling feeling again, only this time, it's stronger than before. All of a sudden, he needs to be close to her. It's like his head has been put under a spell by his heart, and no matter how hard he tries to break free, he just can't. He doesn't _want_ to. As the feelings to overwhelm him, he stands behind her and wraps his arms around her, taking in the scent of her hair.

Maybe it's his way of comforting her, but after seeing her not at ease, a part of him never wants to let go of her.

She gasped out of shock when she felt his arms wrap around her, but then she immediately took comfort in this new position and rest her head against his shoulder as she continues to wash the dishes.

This is the first time they've ever been close in contact like this. So far, they've only really held hands. Despite this, it feels natural for him, as if they've been doing this their whole life.

"It's a beautiful night," he says as she finishes up. "And it doesn't seem that cold anymore. Let's go eat dinner outside, like on a picnic or something. It'll be perfect. And after dinner, we can... we can just lie there and watch the stars."

"Finn Hudson, are you asking me on a date?" she asks, turning around to face him.

"Depends. If I did, would you say yes?" he jokes. It's so easy to be himself around her. He doesn't have to impress anybody or pretend to be someone he's not. With Rachel, he can just be Finn.

"Maybe, if you ask me properly. I don't say yes to just anybody you know," she teases.

"Fine. Rach, how would you like to go on a date with me? I know this little grassy meadow literally ten feet away from our house. Trust me, it has a perfect view of the-"

She interrupts him with a kiss on the cheek. Pick me up at eight," she jokes, before heading off to the bedroom.

Placing a hand on his cheek where she kissed him, he absorbs the lingering feeling of her lips on him. Even though it was just on the cheek, it made his entire heart scream with joy. He's never felt this way about anyone before. It's kind of... awesome.

And he was serious about wanting to go on a date with her too. He promised himself would make her happy, and honestly spending time with her makes him happy too.

He was so wrapped in in the moment that it didn't even cross his mind that they were supposedly married. It's just Finn and Rachel, no titles or positions included. Just two people enjoying each other's time and presence. To him, it's really a genuine first date and he wants to make it as perfect as possible, for both of them.

Since Rachel's been in the bathroom for a long time, he decides to take the initiative to finish making dinner. Only, he ended up mixing the wrong ingredients together. It's not his fault that salt and sugar look exactly the same. He honestly has no idea how Rachel does it. Resorting to Plan B, he makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He gets ready the champagne, and puts it along with the food, inside the picnic basket.

He decides on a long-sleeve collared buttoned-up shirt with dark jeans, a sort of casual yet still somewhat formal attire for the occasion. It's not long after eight when the bathroom door finally opens.

He loses his breath at the sight of her. She has her hair down and curled, with just a little amount of makeup. She's wearing a comfortable light maroon dress, one that he's never seen before.

"I bought it when I went with Quinn last week to the mall. I've been saving it for a special occasion," she says, reading his mind.

"Wow… you look absolutely beautiful," he says in awe, still a bit speechless.

She giggles before coming up to him and wrapping her arm around his.

He wasn't kidding when he said that the place they were heading to was ten feet away.

"How far out do you want to go?" he asks.

"Twenty steps east, right under the brightest shining star," she says.

He briefly wonders which way is east, because it's Rachel. Even without her memory, she knows absolutely everything. So he follows her.

They set up exactly twenty steps east, right under the brightest shining star, and eat their sandwiches in peace. He apologizes for ruining dinner, and she thanks him for making dinner. They toast using airplane cups (his idea) to 'us'.

They're sitting side by side with their legs to the side when she tells him for about the different constellations and the two dippers.

"It's funny. I remember so much useless information, but I don't remember any memories behind them."

"Well, you're smart, so you probably must have paid attention in school. You're parents probably taught you a lot too."

"Most likely. I don't think I was an astronomer, but for some reason, the stars fascinate me. I know for a fact that they're a metaphor. A metaphor for something… I just can't put my finger on it. I just, don't know. I really don't."

"Well, you're smart, funny, courageous, devoted, special, beautiful, and so many other adjectives the in the dictionary. But there's so much more to you that that. There's so many amazing things about you Rach, and that's what makes you shine. Something's telling me, you _are_ a star, right here on earth."

She beams at him. Sliding closer to him, she lays her head right on his shoulder. His head automatically tilts to rest on hers.

"Tell me about your life Finn."

He's about to open his mouth to protest when she cuts him off.

"I know you said it was a touchy subject, but I need to know something, anything. It doesn't even have to be something personal, just a memory."

Complying to her request (because honest, he can't really say no to her), he nods.

"For so long, it was just me and my mom, us two against the world. My father, he died when I was just a baby," his voice falters at the end.

"Oh, Finn. I am so sorry," she says as she begins strokes his hand. "You don't have to tell me anymore."

He shakes his head. "No, I can give you a memory. Nothing personal like you said, but a memory."

"I remember," he continues, smiling to himself as he reminisces. "Instead of bedtime stories, my mom used to tell me legends that my grandma told her to try to get me to fall asleep. It was sort of a hereditary thing. I don't really remember any of them, except for maybe one. She told it to me the night of what would have been my parent's ten year anniversary. It was really dark and cloudy outside. She had to go work nightshift, and I didn't want her to go. Even though she sent our neighbor to watch me, I was still scared. I even went on my knees and begged her not to go. I was still just a child then. These were the days when, she was the only thing I had. She tucked me in, stroked my head, and told me the story. I don't know why, but this one always stood out to me."

"What was it about?"

"Well according to legend, these two people, Ananth and Zyanya, a man and a woman, lived on opposite sides of the world. Unsatisfied with their lives, they both left their homes, searching for that one thing missing in their life, using the stars as their guide. Little did they know, that the stars would lead them to each other, meeting each other halfway between their hometown. The two immediately fell in love, and were engaged to be married."

"That is so sweet! They must have been so happy."

"And they were, happier than they've ever been. Now I don't remember what exactly happened next, but let's just say major darkness hit, and they were forced to return back to their old lives, leaving each other behind. However, before they left, they buried a box that was filled with all their memories, promising that one day, the stars would lead them back to the place where they met and fell in love. Right back to when they met. Unfortunately, every time they tried to go back, it was too dark. The darkness covered the stars. Eventually, they both died trying."

"That's terrible! Finn, why on earth would you remember a tragic story like this?"

"Calm down, it's not done yet. Now, they say that even death couldn't stop the lovers from reuniting. The moment the box, the one thing holding all their memories, is opened, then the darkness will clear, and the stars will come out-"

"-so that the two lovers can find each other once more," she finishes.

"Yeah. But it's all just a legend. Who knows if a box like that even exists?"

"Who knows if it doesn't?"

They find themselves looking at each other again, just like they were in car. However this time, he knows what they're both longing for- love in each other.

"You are really are a star, here to guide me home to you," he says.

He leans his forehead on hers, his eyes never leaving hers.

"You know you can kiss me if you want to," she whispers.

"I want to," he replies.

Slowly, lays her down flat on her back on their picnic blanket. As he hovers over her, he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, and gently tilts her chin up. As he closes the distance between them, he closes his eyes and just takes in that sensual feel of her. When their lips finally meet, it's slow and beautiful. It's magical, incredible, wonderful, and so many other adjectives in the dictionary. But it's so much more than that. It's something he could only find in her. After a few moments, he pulls back a little, only to open his eyes to find her passionate eyes looking back at him. Once again, they're lips perfectly meet, and he knows for a fact that kissing Rachel has got to be the best feeling in the world.

Lips swollen, they later find themselves laying side by side on the blanket. She's curled up and tucked in at his side, and his arm is wrapped firmly around her.

They just lie there, occasionally sneaking in a couple of kisses. Forgetting about the world around them, they just stay in their own little world.

"I'm so incredibly happy," she says.

"You are?" he eagerly asks. All he ever wanted was to make her happy, and now they both are. He's happier than he's ever been in his life.

"Of course! I'm so happy and proud that I married you."

His smile immediately drops and his begins to frown. This entire night, he never once thought of them being 'married.' He wasn't pretending. He honestly meant every single word he meant. He wasn't trying to be 'Finn Hudson, husband of Rachel Hudson,' he was trying to be himself. It hurts to wonder if she would only love him because she thought he was her husband. It really, truly hurts.

He suddenly sits up, not wanting to have to ruin the night by telling her another lie. "I uh, I gotta go."

"Where are you going?" she's panicking now. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, you don't understand, I need to think."

"Oh, so not only am I incapable of retaining any memories, I'm also incapable of comprehension!" Oh shit. She's mad now, it kind of scares him.

"What's wrong? Why are you yelling at me?"

"I need to know Finn. What do you see when you look at me? Or rather, who do you want to see? It's hard, knowing that when you look at me, all that you're looking for is her. _Your_ Rachel Hudson, the one with all the memories. That's why you've been so distant before, isn't it? You want to know something? She isn't coming back. Doctor Schue told me that today. Apparently, the part of my brain that holds all my _personal_ memories was critically damaged. There's practically no chance of me ever getting my memories back. So I'm sorry, that you're stuck here with-"

He stops her right there and kisses her. "You're wrong," he says as he pulls away. "When I look at you, all I see is my Rachel. It's all I've ever seen, and it's all I'll ever be able to see." He's being sincerely honest too. He pulls her in close to him as he hugs her tightly.

"I won't get any of them back. Memories of you, my parents, any of them. They're all gone."

Suddenly, it hits him. The reason why he was so distant and hesitant was because he was worried about what would happen if she got her memory back. Now that she isn't, well they could actually live a life together. He can see it: waking up each morning in each other's arms, kissing each other every morning and night, and maybe in the future, they can start a family together. They can start from the beginning. He wants that, more than anything.

"We can start over! Remake it, our first date, our wedding, everything."

"Remake them?"

"Totally! That way, you'll have memories of them."

"It isn't just that Finn. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of it, but experiences, both good and bad, shape an individual. They make a person who they are. It's like I've been saying all along. Without these memories, I don't know who I am."

"Memories are an important part of who you are Rach, but they don't define you. Honestly, I would rather lose all my memory, than never make a one again. Your future is more important than your past. Just because you don't remember them, doesn't mean we still can't find out what makes you, you. We'll retrace your life if we have to. I promise you Rachel, I will help you find yourself."

He'll do anything for her. Right now, the only thing she wants is to find herself, and isn't going to if he keeps it up. He wants that life with her, still more than anything, but he'll sacrifice it, for her sake.

"Rach, listen to me. I need to tell you the truth."

TBC

* * *

><p><em>The truth?<em>

_AN: Been busy this entire week and had a case of writers block. Thank you all for your patience and support. Remember, I don't know much about the actual technical side of amnesia, I just tweaked it a bit for the plot. __It will be back to Rachel's perspective for the next one. Don't worry, there's still a lot more to come._

_Review!_


	5. The Truth

They say they are four stages, give or take, to which an individual reacts to the truth.

_First stage: Incomprehension._

"You and I, aren't actually married."

"I'm sorry, what?"

_Second stage: Denial._

"I, uh, lied about us being married."

"Finn, this isn't time to be playing around. This is a serious manner! We are discussing our future here!"

_Third stage: Enlightenment._

"I'm being serious Rach. We are not husband and wife. We're not even close to that. I literally just found you and took you in. Think about it. We don't have a wedding certificate, pictures, nothing. You don't even have any identification. I can't give you a detailed memory of our past together. Just think about it."

"Oh… my… God…"

_Now the fourth stage has two possible scenarios: Acceptance, or Betrayal._

"You've been lying to me."

"Yeah, but it's not in the way you think."

"All this time, you've been deceiving me! To think, that I actually thought you cared about me. That you actually _loved_ me!"

"I do care you Rach! Why do you think I'm telling you the truth? I want to help you find yourself. I promised you that."

"You've been using me! All this time, I was your goddamn trophy wife!"

"You know that's not true."

"I don't know what's true anymore! I can't… I can't even look at you."

"Where are you going?"

"Why don't you ask your wife?"

"Rach, wait! Let me explain!"

"Don't call me that! Just… stop."

She understands why they say that the feelings of betrayal that come from fourth stage is the hardest to overcome.

How can he do that to her? How does he have the audacity to lie to her about something as serious as that? All this time, she's been living a giant lie. He was supposed to be the only thing in her life that was real and true. Now, everything she's known, isn't who she is.

Tears are streaming down her cheek when she knocks on the Puckermans' door.

"Rachel, what happened?" Quinn asks when she opens the door.

She bursts into tears when she tells her about everything-the doctor, the date, the lies.

"What's up with her?" Puck asks when he sees Quinn comforting her.

"Finn's been lying to her. They're not really husband and wife. In fact, they haven't even met before the accident. He's been lying to her, to all of us even," Quinn explains.

"So?" he replies casually. Sitting down on the couch, he opens a bag of chips and pops a couple in his mouth. Apparently, the four phases do not apply to everyone.

"So? Did you not hear what I just said? Finn's committed some type of crime! He is nothing but a liar. And how can you act so calm Puck? Weren't you the one pestering the two of them with questions?" Quinn responds.

"God," Puck says, swallowing. "You guys are so stupid. No duh they're not married. I mean, I am a married man. I know what it's like to be married, I married you didn't I?"

"Puck, I don't understand."

"Look, he obviously was doing her favor!"

"Doing me a favor? Really? Would you care to elaborate, Noah?" Rachel finally says.

"Princess, you didn't have any identification on you. If he didn't come and take you in, you wouldn't have money, clothes, none of that. He fucking paid for your hospital bill. You didn't even have insurance. Why? Because he's totally into you. Anyone with eyes can see what's going on between between guys. Just because you're not married, doesn't mean that the feelings aren't there. It doesn't take a genius to know that."

"Please Noah, you're friends with Finn. Of course you would defend him."

"Puck's right Rachel. And I'm not just saying that because I'm married to him. I know what it's like to be in love. I know the symptoms. He looks at you the same way you look at him. It's the same way Puck and I look at each other. Love, it isn't an easy road. Take a look at us. Puck and I are living examples of that. But believe me, it's worth it. All the trouble, lies, hardships, is nothing compared to a happily ever after."

"What she said," Puck adds.

"You guys don't understand. Your life isn't a lie."

"Rachel, you have no idea what I've been through, what it took to make me who I am today. Did you know that my real name is Lucy? That my parents had a loveless relationship filled with lies? That I was an overweight teenager who was bullied so much she changed her entire life? I lost the weight, became head cheerleader, used my popularity bullied others, and you know what? That wasn't fulfilling either. Then I went and had a one night stand with a man who ended up becoming my husband."

"At least you have memories! It's like you said, they made you who you are. I don't have any of that."

"It seems to me that you're more upset about losing you're memory than Finn lying," Puck comments.

"It's all his fault though! I have every right to be angry at him. If I had known that he wasn't really my husband, I wouldn't have done some of the things I did. I don't think I can ever forgive him."

"Rachel, you know I care about you, but you have got to be the most stubborn person I have ever met. I'm not asking you to fall into his arms and forgive him. I'm just telling you to not let your pride get in the way of your heart. I know you've lost your memory, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy. Sometimes, the smallest seed, with help from nature, can bear the most fruit," Quinn states.

"I-" she began before a her train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Speak of the devil himself," Puck says, standing up to open the door.

"Noah wait! I refuse to see him. It's... it's too soon," Rachel says.

"Well it's too late now, my butt's already off the couch."

"Noah!" she screams as he opens the door. To her surprise, Finn's not there, but rather a box.

"Oh would you look at that. Hudson here brought his woman her clothes. He's totally whipped. Here," he says as he tosses her the box. "There's even a note attached to it."

_Rach,_

_I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to be. I shouldn't have made you believe that we were married. I should have told you the truth sooner. But you need to give me a chance to explain. Whenever you're ready, we should talk._

_Finn_

Removing the note from the box, she crumples it up and throws it away.

"Someone's a diva, isn't she?" Puck jokes.

"Shut it Puckerman!" she yells.

Finn Hudson just doesn't stop, does he? Because of him, she doesn't even know if her name is actually Rachel. The only clue she has of her name is Rach and now she's associated that to him. Sure, being called Rachel seems fitting, but so was being Finn's wife. How could he do this? Now he wants to explain himself? How dare he! Maybe she should go talk to him, and give him a piece of her mind.

* * *

><p>She finally finds him working near Figgins' car. She frowns when she catches herself thinking about how <em>hot<em> he looks with in a loose white t-shirt that's covered with grease. He has a bit of grease on his nose too. Oh and those muscles. Why does he have to be so attractive?

He looks up and catches her admiring his assets. She turns a crimson red when he smirks at her. Why does her heart keep pounding like that whenever he smirks at her?

Damn him.

She can't do this. She can't talk to him. She's not ready. She's just so, so confused. How can she go from hating his guts to checking him out? This is preposterous. How can she demand an explanation from him, when she can't even control her thoughts around him.

She does the only thing she can think of. She runs. Away from Finn, away from his eyes, away from what her heart is telling her. She runs.

"Rachel, wait!" he calls from behind. She runs faster when she hears the sound of his footsteps following her. Ignoring his yells, she keeps on running, putting her long legs to good use. She brushes through trees, bushes, anything to get away from him.

He's approaching her fast- which was predictable considering his height and body advantage. However, she didn't expect to be pushed and end up falling to the floor.

"What the hell Finn?" she yells. Looking around, she realizes she can't see him. "Finn..." she calls, wondering where that tall lanky man was. He was a dead man that's for sure.

"Finn Hudson, I demand an apology!" she yells. How dare he push her!

"An apology? Rach, by trying to save you, I ended up falling into the poison oak I was protecting you from."

She sees him now. He's lying on the ground, surrounded in a type of shrub.

"Poison oak?"

"Yes!" he says, scratching like a madman as he steps away from the plant. "The same poison oak that you were seconds away from encountering."

"No," she shake her head. "I was not about to run into poison oak. You're lying to me again."

"Rachel, do you not see all these red rashes that are starting to form?"

Damn him. Just, damn him.

"Well if you weren't chasing me I wouldn't be running, now would I?"

"If you would just listen for a second, you wouldn't need to run in the first place."

"Ugh! This thing is killing me!" he continues.

Maybe it's her conscious speaking, but a part of her feels guilty seeing him in so much pain. He did save her. It's almost like he's her knight and shining armor. Wait, no. No! She's just a sympathetic person, and for some strange reason, she's especially sympathetic towards him.

"Stop scratching!" she demands. She's a rather demanding person she realizes. Sympathetic, but demanding.

"I can't! It's really, really itchy!" he complains.

"Finn," she says more gently. "Stop," she says as she places her hand on his forearm, her eyes gazing into his.

It's still there.

That feeling in her heart she would get whenever their eyes met. The way their a flash of sparks flooded through her body whenever they touched. It's all still there.

She had thought that the only reason why she felt the way she did was because she believed they were married. That obviously isn't the case anymore.

"I, uh, I need to go," he says as he turns away. "But Rachel, we really should talk."

* * *

><p>She continues to watch him head towards the direction of his house before she herself walks of in the opposite direction.<p>

She just needs time to think, about everything.

She needs direction, because she hates the feeling of having an identity crisis.

So she decides to retrace her steps and go back to where it all started-the tree.

What's left of her car has somehow been towed (probably by Sam Evans and his tow truck) and all the only evidence left of her accident is the dent on the tree.

Finding it pointless to stay there any longer, she finds herself walking towards the direction of medical center, hoping they could provide her with some type of explanation.

"Mrs. Hudson! We weren't expecting you today," Emma says.

"Emma, I was just wondering if I could have a copy of my medical record here."

"Medical record... medical record... Ah, yes, I believed your husband helped fill it out for you. It's bound to be in our records. Lima isn't very big you know."

"I am aware. What I do not understand is how you knew for a fact that Mr. Hudson is my husband. Did he show you any record or any proof of any sort that I was indeed married to him?"

"Mrs. Hudson..."

"With all due respect Nurse Emma, certainly failure to follow such crucial procedures could result in unfortunate consequences."

"I... um..."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Doctor Schuester! I was just telling your lovely fiancée here about the possibility of her committing an illegal felony."

"Emms, go take a break. I'll take care of this," Doctor Schue tells Emma, who nods and leaves the two alone.

"Do you want to know what is illegal? Driving without a license. Would you care to explain that?" Doctor Schue argues.

"That's a completely different story," she defends.

"You're right, because Emma and I thoroughly discussed it and decided what would be best for you. Now I understand the news yesterday was overwhelming, but there is no need to talk like that in here. You what to know what would have happened if we didn't just allow Finn to take you? You would have stayed in the hospital until someone came with proof. Your husband had a rather convincing story, considering the move and everything, so we just decided to take his word on it."

"Well, I can tell that Finn is not my husband."

"Pardon?"

"He told me himself. According to him, we never even met before the accident."

"I don't believe it... I could have sworn... with the way he was looking at you at you... Oh but then again..." Doctor Schue mumbles.

_Why does everyone keep saying that? 'The way he looks at you.' 'He looks at you, the same way you look at him.'_

"Well, Rachel, if that is the case, then I'm afraid your going to have to stay here until-"

"What? No, I refuse to stay in a hospital for the rest of my life! I'll just stay with Quinn and Puck for a while. Perhaps maybe in the future I can find a career for myself. Of course I have to discover what my real name is and get an identification. Oh, but then I would to have to discuss this with social security and they will certainly punish me for committing a crime myself!"

"Rachel, I'm sure they'll..."

"I got it! Without a doubt there are people-family, friends, and whatnot- who are on the search for me. I'll just simply wait for them to find me and take me back home. While it does not resolve my amnesia dilemma, at least I'll be surrounded by people whom I actually knew. If that's the case then there's no need to discuss our criminal life outside of this building. Let's just say they never happened. Thank you for all your help Doctor Schue!"

"Rachel! Wait..." he calls just as she leaves.

Alas! Rachel Blank has a plan, a type of push factor in her life. No longer will she spend her days wondering who is she and what her memories are. She'll find people for that; people who don't lie to her and make her believe in a life of fantasy. She'll finally learn who the real Rachel is.

"Emma!" she calls when she sees the redhead near the exit. "I must apologize for my behavior. It was very inappropriate for me to react in such a manner despite my current predicament. I assure you it will not happen again."

"I appreciate it Rachel. Just know you can talk to me anytime if anything is bothering you. I was a guidance councilor before I met Will."

"That's incredible Emma! Thanks! I'm going to hug you now," she informs.

"Take care Rachel!"

"You too!" she replies as she begins to return back to the Puckermans' residence. "Emma, wait!" she says, quickly turning around to catch the nurse's attention.

"Yes?"

"Do you, by any chance, have any ointment for poison oak?"

* * *

><p>She's just really a nice person, she decides as she knocks on the door of Finn's, not theirs, Finn's, house. She's just here to deliver the medicine and ointment. That's it.<p>

She gasps when the door opens; this time due to the shock of the rashes that are now covering his body.

"Rachel?" he asks in a scratchy voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh my God, Finn, you look terrible!" Inviting herself in, she leads Finn towards the bed and examines him closely. "I bought you some medicine." With the money that Finn gave her a long time ago but that shouldn't really matter.

"Rachel, you don't have to do this. I've had poison oak before, that's how I was able to recognize it."

"No no, I would do this for anyone," she justifies. "Besides, your mother isn't here to take care of you this time."

"It's funny, for once, I knew something you didn't," he jokes.

"Well, I'm not really an outdoors person. Did you change your clothes? Shower in cold water?" she asks. "Good," she says when he nods.

Taking a damp washcloth, she has him lie down on the bed as she places cold compresses on his rashes.

"I hate having you see my like this. I must look terrible, like a red, lumpy, giant freak."

"Don't say that, they're, they're little red badges of courage," she smiles at him.

Being here with him, it's so easy to forget everything that has happened. And it's not like she can hate him. He's done a lot of things for her too. She knows he isn't a bad guy. He never pressured or used her. He's romantic too... and charming... and handsome. It's hard not to like him.

"We should talk," he says sitting up once she started applying ointment.

"You're right, we should. I know I've been avoiding you, but now I believe that talking is the only way to obtain closure. Let me just start by saying that I am incredibly angry and hurt that you lied to me as something as serious as this."

"I know, and you have no idea how sorry and guilty I am. It killed me whenever I lied to you, that's why I've been avoiding you for the longest time. But you have to know, I was being honest the other night. I meant every word."

"Why though? Why did you tell them that you knew me? And why did you tell them that I was your wife, and not a friend or relative?"

"I don't even know myself. At first, I thought it it was guilt, that I was responsible for you because it was sort of my fault that you crashed into the tree. But I was wrong. Right from the beginning, I _felt_ something towards you. Something incredibly amazing and overwhelming. I don't know how to explain it either, but I think that's what made me call you my wife. I still feel it though, in fact it gets stronger everyday."

"I know what you mean I... I feel it too." She looks at him looking at her. It's like there's something pulling her to him. It must be what Puck, Quinn, and the others have seen. The force of that pull amazes her. It would be so easy to just kiss his lips despite the rashes and to get that feeling she felt when they kissed before. But she doesn't.

"I just don't know how to cope with this amnesia. Being married to you gave me a sense of fulfillment in who I am, but now... I guess I'm having a bit of an identity crisis," she continues.

"The problem is that you're thinking way too much. You want to know who you are? Look at your actions. You're taking care of me right now even after all I've done to you. That right there shows how sweet and compassionate you are. Just right now you said that you're not an outdoor person. See? You already know things about yourself. Like I said, they're so many things about you that make you the beautiful person you are."

"You're not lying right now are you?"

"Do I have a reason to lie?" he says, his voice strong.

"I don't know, maybe it's the fact that I'm tending to your rashes?" she teases.

"That I got because of you!"

"Oh here we go again," she smiles, because they can really just be so silly and cared-free around each other.

"Believe me, I meant every word. I know you just like you know me," he says, becoming serious again.

"I _thought_ I knew you, but now I'm not so sure."

"But I know you have good intentions, so congratulations, I will spare you," she continues.

"You will spare me?" he asks in a slightly mocking tone.

"Yes I will. I will not report you."

"Well that's a relief. So, what are you going to do know?"

"I'm going to wait for people to come find me and take me home."

"I'm sorry but we live in Lima. It might be a bit hard for people to find you here."

"Well I'm sure that...oh you're right! It can take ages. What if they give up and declare me dead or something?"

"That's why we should go looking for them ourselves."

"_We_?"

"I promised you I would help you find yourself the other night didn't I? I told you I wasn't lying."

"Why should I let you?"

"I got money, resources, people. Just think about it."

She does think about it. She thinks about chances, and chances are that with Finn's help, she'll be able to find her family much faster. Plus, even Finn deserves a second chance at redeeming himself.

"Fine, but just so you know, I haven't forgiven you completely, so you have to earn your trust. Got it?"

"Understood. So, do we have a deal?

"On one condition. If I do you let you help me, you have to tell me about your life. Everything thing about it. Deal?"

"Deal."

TBC

* * *

><p><em>Thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. I really do appreciate all your support.<em>

_Review!_


	6. Friends

He's serious about helping Rachel.

_Every_ single day she comes over to his house to discuss what the first step should be on her path to 'her inner Rachel'.

They decide to start the search for that one person who's bound to be worried sick about her. That one person who will stop at nothing to find her. That one woman who love her no matter what the circumstances.

Her mother.

It isn't an easy task, but he knows just the person to help him- Mike Chiang.

"Hey, bro, I need a favor," he calls one afternoon after he and Rachel gathered as much information as possible.

"Dude, what happened to you? You just sort of.. just... disappeared."

"Look that doesn't matter. I just need your super awesome Asian skills right now."

"What is it this time?" Mike asks, sighing at the thought of being used once again for his 'Asian skills'.

"I need you to help me find someone."

"Well I need you to be more specific than that my friend."

"I need you to help me find the mother of someone."

"You do realize that you're giving me pretty much nothing here. No last name, no date of birth, nothing."

"What a second. I've got her license plate. Here I'll send it to you," he says to his friend. Just the other day he and Rachel went Sam's place to examine her car once more in their 'gathering of evidence phase' as Rachel calls it.

"Ooh, it's a she. Does that she happen to be your girlfriend?" Mike teases.

'What! No, she's my… she's my friend," he says. That's exactly what Rachel is, a _friend_. That's what they've specifically agreed to, or what Rachel specifically made him agree to when they officially started this search. He's perfectly fine with being her friend too, because being friends with Rachel is a whole lot better than being her enemy. No one want to be her enemy and face her wrath, he learned that the hard way.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night bro, but all I know is that you haven't called anyone here in New York for weeks, but the one time you do is for her sake."

"Look, do you think that's enough information for you to help me?"

"It's a start but I'm not promising you anything Finn."

"I'm taking all that as a yes."

"Finn wait! Before you hang up, you have to know that Carole and Burt are worried sick about you. If you don't give them a call, they're going to find you themselves, and you'll be a dead man."

"Noted. Thanks bro."

"Sure, sure."

It's been exactly nine days since he called Mike. He knows because Rachel specifically made him keep track. He really hopes Mike can help him. Rachel _trusts _that he can help her find her mother, and he doesn't want to disappoint her again.

Finally, Mike calls and gives her a name.

Her name's Shelby. Shelby Corcoran.

Apparently, the car Rachel was driving was registered under Shelby's name.

This Shelby woman doesn't live too far away either. She currently lives down in Caramel, which is only an hour-and-a-half drive from Lima. Caramel is definitely a much larger town than Lima. It would make sense that she could be Rachel's her mother. It would explain why Rachel was driving near Lima in the first place.

"Are you excited? I mean we're finally on our way to see your mother," he asks her on their way to meet their mother.

"I don't know Finn, something doesn't feel right," she replies. He's a little shocked at her lack of enthusiasm. He would have thought she would be ecstatic at the thought of finding her mother.

"It's probably just nerves," he says, taking her hand. "Rachel Corcoran."

"Don't say that Finn."

"But that could be your name."

"It doesn't feel like my name."

"And Rachel Hudson does?" he says, earning a glare from her.

"Don't think for one second that I forgot that you need to tell me about your life. So spill Mister, I want the unedited, unabridged copy of Finn Hudson's life."

"Okay, okay, fine. Let's see, I told you about my mom. We we moved all the time when I was younger. Never really stayed in one place for more than three years. It wasn't until my mom met my stepfather Burt that me, my mom, Burt, and his son Kurt, moved to New York. I've been living in New York up until now."

"So you have a stepfather and stepbrother?"

"That is correct. You know, I think you and Kurt would make really good friends."

"Really?"

"No he'd hate you."

"Finn!" she shrieks, slapping his arm.

"I'm just kidding with you Rach," he laughs.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You are currently walking on thin ice."

"Seriously though, he'd love you; you're both divas. He just wouldn't love your clothes. He works part time studying New York fashion."

"What's it like in New York? From what I've seen in movies, it's an incredible place. Why did you leave?"

"We'll save that for another time."

"Hey, we had a deal!"

"The deal was that I tell you about myself, and I will, just not all at once."

She slumps back in her chair, looking out the window. He smiles when he realizes that she still hasn't let go of his hand.

"Well, this is it," he says once they arrive to the address Mike sent him.

"Finn, wait!" she says, placing her hand on his forearm. "I'm… I'm scared," she whispers, looking him straight in the eye. He's never seen her beautiful eyes so afraid like that before.

"Why are you scared? It's your mom. She's probably been worried sick about you."

"Finn, this doesn't feel right at all. We shouldn't have come; we have to go back."

"Rach, she's not going to care that you have amnesia. I'm not going to force you to go. It's your choice Rachel, and I'm going to support you no matter what. But I wouldn't want fear to be the only thing standing in your way."

"Can you come with me?"

"Of course. I'll even do the talking too."

Stepping out of his truck, he quickly walks over to the other side and open's her door. She tightly grips his hand as they walk towards the front door.

"Don't be afraid, Rach. I'm right here," he whispers to her. And he is, he'll always be right here for her. Whether or not she want him there, he'll be there. He owes her that much, because that's what _friends_ do.

He takes a deep breath before he doorbells. Within a minute the door opens, revealing a woman with dark brown hair and eyes. She looks exactly like an older version of Rachel it's almost scary.

"Good morning Ms. Corcoran, I'm Finn Hudson and –"

"What is she doing here?" the woman bitterly asks.

"I'm sorry? I believe that _she_ is your daughter" he argues, taken aback.

"No. No! We went through this before didn't we Rachel?"

So her name is Rachel.

"Look Ms, she is a spitting image of you. Rachel was driving your car. With all due respect, there's no doubt she's your daughter." He can't believe this woman. How can she say that to Rachel?

"I can't, not again."

Now he's pissed at this woman. How dare she abandon Rachel!

"Ms-" he starts, before he feels a tug on his shirt.

"Finn, let's go."

He's shocked to hear the voice coming from Rachel. They finally found her mother, and now she's just running away? No questions, no arguments, nothing? The least this Shelby woman could do is provide information on who Rachel is.

"But Rach she's-" he starts.

"Please, let's just go."

They hurry back into his truck, ignoring the slamming of the front door behind them. The moment they enter the truck, Rachel immediately breaks down into tears. He doesn't hesitate to take her in his arms to comfort her. He is her friend after all.

"I'm so sorry. If I had known," he says, stroking her hair.

"She didn't want me Finn," she sobs into his shirt.

"That's her loss Rachel. If she can't see how incredible you are than that's her damn fault."

"Don't you get it Finn? My own mother didn't want me! That one person who's supposed to love you unconditionally, wants nothing to do with me."

"Rach, there's bound to be people who love you. What about your dad? What if you have adoptive parents? You probably have loads of friends."

"How do you know that? What if people just don't like me?"

"Emma likes you, Doctor Schue likes you, Quinn likes you, Puck says he doesn't but he really does, Sam and Mercedes like you. I like you."

"I just don't know if I can take the heartbreak again Finn."

"So you're going to give up? You can't do that Rachel. You're better than that."

"Finn, I don't know what to say right now. I don't know what to do next. I guess I'm just still hurt and shocked about Shelby, and about- well other things too."

She talking about him too, he knows it.

"Come, I know where to go," he says. He buckles her up and starts the engine, driving farther and farther away from Shelby.

He wonders what happened to them, Rachel and Shelby. Why was Rachel driving her car? Why does Shelby want nothing to do with Rachel? There are just so many questions he doesn't know the answer to. He could only imagine how Rachel's feeling. She probably has a million more questions than him.

He still feels really guilty about calling her is wife. It just, in some strange way, made sense. It still does. But now they're just friends. They're able to talk about everything with each other, but every once in a while she throws in the 'you lied to me' card.

* * *

><p>"A bowling alley?" Rachel asks as soon as he parks. He's thankful that Caramel is bigger than Lima because there's no way Lima could have a bowling alley.<p>

"That's right. I just to bowl a lot whenever I was upset. Especially when I was a teenager. You see, it was just me and my mom for the longest time, and I hated the idea that Burt was trying to replace my dad. I couldn't tell her about it, because he made her so happy, so I just bowled."

"Did it help?"

"Come on, I'll show you."

He leads her inside, paying for the two of them. The worker gives them two wristbands, meaning that they have unlimited amount of time to bowl.

"Finn, ever since I've known you, you've been spoiling me rotten. Where in the world did you get all that money?"

He hesitates for a moment. Though he knew that this question was bound to come up soon, he never really knew how to answer it without telling why he left New York. It's still a touchy subject for him.

"Burt owns a tire shop company that I used to work for. He paid me really well."

"Oh, well that's-"

"Come on, let's bowl," he says before she can ask more questions.

"Okay, so how exactly does this work?" she asks, standing right in front of aisle.

"See those pins there? Imagine that they're your problems, everything that's bothering you, everything's that hurting you, anything that's getting in your way. Now all you gotta do is use the ball to knock those damn pins down."

"So I just, roll it?"

"Uh huh, just like this," he holds his ball up, before pulling it back while he takes the proper steps towards the aisle. He perfectly bowls a perfect ball, easily getting a strike.

"Now you try."

"Okay, so," she says, weakly throwing the ball, causing it to go roughly two miles per hour as it goes straight into the gutter. He's pretty sure his own grandma could bowl better than that.

"I am terrible at this," she comments.

"No you're not. You're holding it wrong. Try it like this."

He stands behind her, placing his hands over hers. His body is so close to hers it makes his whole body on fire, and the force between them causes the two of them to get a strike. That's the thing about being friends with Rachel; it's hard to be close to her without feeling that pull. He certainly does not feel that way with his other friends. It isn't really a normal feeling.

The moment Rachel gets a strike on her own, she fills the entire bowling alley with her screams of glee before she attacks him with a bear hug. He hugs her back, happy with the fact she's happy after what happened earlier that day. When they pull back, there's that tension in the air again. It's that same recurring feeling over and over again. All he can think of is her and how easy it would be to kiss her again.

But he can't, because he's her friend, and friends don't kiss each other.

"I have a surprise for you," he says, breaking that tension the air. She herself realizes what could of happened and takes a couple steps back.

"Don't tell me that you've been lying to be again and that you're not really a wealthy man, but really a professional robber in hiding, because let me tell you when I was in the hospital I was worried sick that I would be married to be robber and while I understand that you are not actually my husband, it still makes me feel really uncomfortable knowing that I-"

"No Rach, I'm not a theif, I actually am the stepson of a very wealthy man, but that's not actually what I wanted to surprise you with. It's still pretty early in the day, I think we'll have more than enough time."

"For what? Where are going?"

"You'll see."

"Well in that case, let me see your phone."

"What? What do you need my phone for?"

"I need to text Quinn and tell her I'll be back late."

"Oh, okay here," he says, handing her his cell phone. He would have bought her a phone himself, he thinking about it now, he should have. "Good thing there's signal in Lima."

"Finn wait!" she calls, making him instantly turn around. Before he knows it a bright flash blinds his eyes. He blinks his eyes a couple of times before he catches Rachel laughing at his phone.

"Rachel, did you just take a picture of me?"

"Look at you!" she giggles, turning the phone towards him, revealing a rather unflattering photo of him.

"Rachel, I look like... like I'm drunk. I mean look at my eyes! I wouldn't even call those eyes. You have to delete it! Give it here!" he says, trying to phone away from her.

"Hold on," she argues. "What if by some unfortunate circumstance I lose my memory of my life in Lima. I've read about it, and I heard that it can happen! I want to remember moments like this Finn, the happy and goofy times. I don't want to forget them."

Honestly how can he argue with that? If she wants to remember him, then who is he to stop her?

"Fine, just gives me a head's up if you want to take a picture of me picking my nose or something."

"Finn, that's disgusting."

"Come on, we have to go, but I think we need to make a little detour first."

* * *

><p>"No, Finn… you can't buy me a camera."<p>

"Didn't you just say that you want to remember? You can't keep using _my_ phone, what's the point in that. I specifically got a pink one, so it's perfect for you. Plus, I paid extra to put a tracking device on it, so even if you wander off into the middle of nowhere, we'll still be able to find you. We don't want a repeat what happened do we? If anything ever happens to you, I… I don't know what I'll do."

He doesn't get it, where is everyone? Rachel's family that is. If he were in their shoes, I'll do anything to find Rachel if she ever disappeared. He'll search every country, every small town, every shadow to find her.

"Are you worried about me?" she breathes in.

"Well yeah of course I am. I care about you Rach, that's why I'm giving it to you. And now, we can take pictures of you to show to possible relatives of yours, therefore you wouldn't have to talk to them."

"How exactly is that going to work? Are you going to stick up a 'found girl' poster with my face on it, telling them to call me? Because if that's a case, given my amnesia, then some random person can easily claim to be someone I know, and I wouldn't know the better. Sound familiar?" she half-jokes.

"Well if you had to choose between me and some random guy who would you pick?"

"Depends who's cuter I guess. I'm kidding Finn," she says after seeing his jaw drop. "You know I'd pick you, that's what friends do right? They stick with each other."

"I'm serious Rachel. Promise me you won't loose this or leave without it. This is my only way to finding you, should something happen," he says, handing her the camera.

"You have my word Finn. And thank you, for the camera. I assure you, I'll put this camera to good use and make the most out of it."

"Good, because you're going to need it for where we're going."

"Hold on! We need to take a picture, right now."

Pulling him right next to her, she holds the camera at just the right angle and distance, she takes her first picture of the both of them. Immediately, she brings it close to her and marvels at the first image on her new camera.

"Dang, we look good."

* * *

><p>"Oh my goodness Finn! This is so exciting! I've never been to the carnival before. Well I don't have any memories of going there... so this is really nice! It's like what you said, I can make new memories!"<p>

"_We_, I said we," he whispers to himself.

"Finn!" she yells, clutching on the the sleeve of his shirt with one hand, while the other hand points to a game booth. "You have to win me something! A stuffed animal or something I can cuddle with at night."

"Rachel, you threw away all the stuffed animals I brought for you from the gift shop at the hospital. Why should I spend money to try to win you another stuff animal?"

"Exactly, they're from the hospital. I don't know about you, but I personally do not want daily reminders of being in the hospital. I want to look and my stuffed animal and remember something happy, like right now. So come on and put those muscles to work and win me a prize!"

Complying, he walks up to one of the game booths. All he pretty much has to do is get a small red hoop over a beer bottle. Easy right?

"How much?"

"One dollar for twenty rings and five dollars for fifty rings."

The prices are ridiculous if you ask him, but he pays five anyways, earning fifty rings in return. The first ring he tosses completely misses, as do the other eighteen that follow. He even tries to throw three at time too, but that doesn't work either.

"Come on Finn! You only have one left."

"Yeah, come on buddy. Win your woman a prize."

"Oh I'm not-" she begins, but right as she starts he tosses the last ring as precisely as he can. He's still a centimeter off.

"Aww, so close. Would you like to try again?"

"Let's go to another one Rach."

"No, I like the prizes here."

"Yeah, she likes the prizes here."

He really wants to punch that guy. This game has to be rigged, a scam to con people out of their money. Yet here he is, about to pay the guy twenty more bucks to get a whole bucket of two hundred and fifty rings.

"You know I used to play football back in high school," he says to her after he misses yet again.

"Really now?"

"That's right. You're looking at the star quarterback actually. The most popular guy in school."

"Wow, way to show off."

"Well my apparently, my football skills sucked, so I didn't get that football scholarship I was hoping for."

"Oh Finn, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Eh, I guess it wasn't my calling."

"That's probably why you haven't won a single prize yet," the dude sneers. At that, the tosses his last three rings, with one landing perfectly around a beer bottle.

"Let me make a deal with you folks, you can either get one large prize, or two medium prizes. Take your pick."

"Get the bigger one Rach. Bigger is better, and besides, if you get the panda, it'll be just your height."

"We'll get the two medium prizes sir."

Ouch. Way to not listen to him.

"Ooh, this one's a special one," the worker says. "These two bears here are lovers, put them face to face and mwah! They give each other nose kisses."

"Finn! Look at it! It's a magnet," Rachel says, putting the two bears nose to nose.

"I think my brother's boyfriend got him one of those for Valentine's Day."

"Kurt right?"

"Yup, him and Blaine. Been together since high school and are still going strong."

"That's sweet. You have to introduce me to them one day."

_One day_. The concept of spending time with one another even after she finds her family. Well they are friends with each other after all, maybe he can take her to New York _one day_. He can introduce her to his mom, who would love her, and show her everything like in the movies, _one day_.

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you see those carnival picture cutouts over there?"

No. He was not going to stick his head in a hole and smile.

"Nope."

It's too late, her arm is looped around his, and she leads him to a painting of two clowns. While she sweetly asks someone to take their picture, he stands behind the smaller hole, bending his knees a little to stick his face in the hole. Rachel quickly joins him, placing her face in the hole next to him. They repeat this process for every carnival picture opportunity, double checking each photo to make sure they're perfect.

She takes a lot of stolen shots of him. Sometimes when they're walking, she'll just randomly take a picture of him. He takes pictures of her too. If he's not using her camera, he's using his cell phone camera. His favorite pictures of her are the one's when she isn't looking at the camera. She looks so adorable with her two bears tucked under her arm, a balloon on one hand, and a stick of cotton candy on the other.

"Step right up, step right up. We are in need of a volunteer for the infamous Dunk Tank. Whoever if able to hit the target in the next thirty minutes, wins the grand prize. However, if no one is able to dunk him or her, that individual wins the grand prize for free. Any brave volunteers?"

"Right here!" Rachel yells.

"What are you doing?" he asks. She simply ignores him and raises her hand.

"Are you really going to go up there?" he asks her.

"Oh I'm not, but you are."

Before he knows it, he's wearing a white tank top and swim trunks and is siting in dunk tank.

How did he even get in this position in the first place?

And there's Rachel, sticking her tongue out at him while she snaps photo after photo of him.

He beings to relax with each miss thrown at the target. Pretty soon twenty-five minutes pass and he's still as dry as ever. That is until Rachel, noticing his smirk, decides to pay to try to dunk him.

She hits the target on her first try.

He can't even stay mad at her. Especially when she wins the giant hippo prize (that he has to carry).

"We have to ride that roller coaster Finn."

"I don't know Rach, are you up to it? It might be too fast for you."

"Bring it."

Unfortunately, the line is super long, and they only have an hour left before the carnival closes. They'd be fooling themselves if they think they could make it on time.

"Wait, I have an idea," Rachel says as she sees the line manager go off duty and is replaced with another one. "Follow my lead," she tells him, leading him to the very front of the line.

"Excuse me sir, but my friend and I were promised by your colleague that we didn't have to wait in line."

"Oh really now?"

"Yes, my friend Finn here, is terribly afraid of thrill rides. You see, he gets really clammy and sweaty beforehand, and right just as we were about to board, Finn here begged him to give him a few moments to compose himself. Isn't that right Finn?"

Compose himself? Scared of thrill rides? Is she trying to downgrade his masculinity?

"Yes, sure is," he says once Rachel elbows him.

"I'm afraid, Finn has had traumatic experiences as a child in regards to thrill rides," she emotionally explains. Wait a second, is she... crying? "He was an only child," she explains, "a single rider with no one to hold his hand throughout the thrill. But, being the amazing friend I am, I want to give him this opportunity to experience what he never experienced a kid. Are you really going to take that away from him, sir?"

"Well, he does look kid of pale and wet. Are you sure he'll be okay if I let him ride?"

"Oh, I'll think I'll be okay sir. I mean, I have Rachel right?" he says to the guy.

"That you do son, that you do. I'll tell you what, since this is your first time, I'll even let you ride in the front. Just make sure, if you ever get scared, you hold that young lady's hand. And make sure you put your things in the cubbyholes over there."

"Of course sir, thank you!"

"Wait!" Rachel says, turning to the man. "Can you hold my camera while I ride? I don't want anything to happen to it."

"Sure ma'am."

The two of them quickly settle in the front of the coaster and pull the lap bar down.

"You are an incredible liar," he whispers to her.

"Well I learned from the best."

Ouch.

Smiling at him, she takes his hand in hers.

"I know you're scared."

Damn straight he is. Not of the coaster, because this is nothing. He's scared of her, or more precisely what he's feeling for her. He's never felt like this before, and he's never been so amazed and invested in a woman like this before. The feeling is so amazing, yet so, so incredibly scary.

She lets go of his hand to hold on to the bar the second the ride starts. She screams the entire time, and when she smiles at him, he doesn't even notice the camera flash go on because he's too busy smiling back at her.

"I could hear you screaming," the man says to him as he hands Rachel her camera back. Did he really think Rachel's screams were his?

"Yeah, it was pretty intense."

"Tell me about it. But hey, it's a good thing your girlfriend was there to hold your hand."

"Oh she's not-"

"Finn! They took pictures of us on the roller coaster! You have to buy one!" Rachel says, cutting him off.

He ends up buying two.

* * *

><p>She spends the ride back to Lima gushing over their pictures they took.<p>

It's pretty late by the time they arrive, so he walks her out to Quinn's door, helping her carry her many souvenirs.

"Here."

"You're giving me your bear?"

"Rachie Bear to be specific. I'll keep Finny Bear."

"Rachie and Finny Bear?"

"Doesn't it sound perfect? Especially Rachie Bear. Rachie Bear," she says slowly. "I think these two are meant to be separate for a while, so that it's more special whenever they're together you know? So take really good care of her, or else Finny Bear is going to get you."

"I'll be sure to, thanks."

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up," a tiresome Quinn says as she opens the door.

"Thanks Quinn, can you just give us a second?" Rachel says to her.

"Oh, okay, sure. Just make sure you lock the door Rachel," Quinn winks as she leaves the door slightly ajar.

"Thank you, for the camera, for the carnival, for everything," Rachel says to him.

"Anytime."

"Well, I guess this is good night Finn."

"Good night Rachel, sweet dreams."

She looks at him for moment, just a moment. But it only takes a moment for her to lean up and give him a quick kiss on the check before she goes inside the house and closes the door, locking it.

He can't stop smiling to himself as he holds Rachie Bear to his chest.

If possible, his smile only grows bigger when he looks at his copy of their roller coaster picture. There are about a dozen of people in the picture behind him, either with their mouths open or striking a pose at the camera. But him and Rachel are the only exceptions. There's not looking at the camera smiling, they're looking at each other. It's a stolen shot of them, and is only one example of how they were the whole day.

Putting it in the frame he bought from the carnival, he places the picture right on his nightstand.

It's the first and only picture he's displayed since he moved to Lima.

First, but not his last.

TBC

* * *

><p><em>I'll admit, I got the carnival idea from the promos for the 'Senior Skip Day' part of the next Glee episode. Can't believe it's coming back this coming Tuesday!<em>

_Anyways, I'd love to hear any thoughts/questions/suggestions/predictions so feel free to review!_

_Thank you all for your support!_


	7. Conflict

Lima is definitely _not_ a tourist attraction.

She's only had her camera for a week and she's already taken at least two sets of photos of everything Lima has to offer. Every tree, every animal, every person.

It's not that she doesn't like Lima, like she told Finn before- she absolutely loves the people here. It's just that, there isn't that much to _do_ here. Every day is no different from the day before. Where's the excitement? The thrill? The _life_?

But she shouldn't really be thinking about Lima. She should be thinking about herself, and who she is. She does want to remember Lima though, because whether she likes it or not, it's officially a part of her. Sure, she'd be perfectly fine never remembering Lima again, but it would be such a shame if she were to never remember what happened in Lima. Or more importantly, the memories. She takes pictures not so she can remember the object, but the memory behind it.

Because right now, those memories are the only thing she has.

She and Finn aren't really making any progress regarding her family situation. Finn tells her it can take years for lost people to be found, and that she shouldn't lose hope. But the thing is, she's not so sure if she wants to wait that long. Each day, the world passes by, wishes are granted, dreams are fulfilled. She doesn't want to just sit around and watch. She wants to be a part of the world, not a spectator. She's tired of waiting around for someone to come find her. That is, _if_ there is someone out looking for her. No. All she wants is to know who she is, and she doesn't need a mother for that. She can find who she is herself-her strengths, her weaknesses, everything about her through experience. For even though a person can learn based of the words of another, sometimes it's better to just experience life and learn from personal triumphs and mistakes. Mark her words, Rachel Blank refuses to let amnesia get the better of her. She will find out who is she is.

And the best part of this journey is that she would do it alone. She has Finn will help her. They had a deal after all.

* * *

><p>"I don't understand. What exactly do you want to do?"<p>

"I am deciding to take a different route in this Journey to My Inner Rachel. I'm taking matters in my own hands and changing tactics. I for one do not want another dramatic encounter with a possible relative such as what happened with Shelby. I've been thinking about it, and I realize now that as of right now, I want to discover who I am, through experience. I want to keep on living, not waiting."

"How exactly are you going to do that?"

He's leaning against the doorway while she's sitting at the dinning room table. This all isn't new to her, in fact, she's pretty comfortable staying at Finn's house. She practically spends most of her time her now. It's a lot more comfortable than Quinn's, where she feels like an intruder. Over at Finn's, it just feels more like a _home_. She doesn't feel like a guest at all. And while the logical side of her would insist that it's only because she practically lived there, conditioned to think that it's her home, something's telling her it has to do with the atmosphere itself. It's come a long way since she first step foot in the house. It has personality now. Who knew all that it needed was a couple photos? Maybe if he added a bit more, it would be even more of a home.

But no, she has more serious things to worry about than Finn's decor, such as trying to convince Finn to agree to help her commence on a different path.

"You're going to help me find a job."

"A job? Why would you _want_ a job? That's like, not human. I have money Rach, I can take care of you, just like what we're doing right now."

"I'm very aware of that Finn, and I really do appreciate you spending penny after penny on me, but money right now isn't the point. Don't you see Finn? We are narrowing the possibilities here! If you help me find a suitable career, then we have more of an idea as to who I am, you know, before the accident. Surely, my talents didn't disappear along with my memory. Talents, and weaknesses, create an individual. Our task now, is to find what talents pertain to me."

"It isn't that easy Rach. Lima doesn't necessarily provide a variety of job options. And as for finding your talents, I haven't even figured out what mine are yet. So I'm not sure if I'm the guy who can help you."

"First of all, I refuse to believe that. You're the most talented guy here in Lima. You don't belong in the small town. I just don't get why can't you see that you were meant for so much more? It's actually very frustrating! However, you do make a valid point. Talents are funny thing; some are given through genetics, others through experience. Since that's the case, then surely you can find what _your_ talents are alongside of me! It's a win-win situation for both. Secondly, I am more than aware of the lack of opportunities here in this little town, which why we are simply going to _mimic_ all the possible career options. I'll shadow the careers that are here, and for the ones that are not, we'll mimic."

"There's a lot of jobs out there in the world, Rach, probably jobs that I don't even know exist. And how are we supposed to mimic all them, when we don't know what they do?"

"That's why we'll generalize it Finn. We'll start by compiling a list of all the possible career options, then after we synthesize and group them, then we'll start narrowing the possibilities down."

"So, we'll make a list… of all the career options?"

"That is correct."

"Then we'll narrow it down?"

"I believe I just said that, but yes."

"Well why can't we narrow it down now? Because chances are, you're not a professional wrestler or an animal tamer neither."

"While I'll admit, those are a bit extreme, how do you know for sure that I'm not!"

"You can't be a surgeon neither."

"And why not?"

"Let's see, you're tiny, you looked so fragile when you were lying the hospital bed. You couldn't be an animal trainer, because the whole reason why you crashed into the tree was to save a chicken, and you're a vegetarian, so you would be against animal use of entertainment. As for a doctor, well you hated being in the hospital. And honestly, I don't see you working in an office neither. I don't see you sitting at a desk the entire day either on the computer or on the phone. You'd practically die of boredom."

"Okay, okay, I'll admit, I don't see myself having those as a profession neither. Still, the list is still very much necessary, and I suggest we start now."

Pen and notepad ready, she ferociously writes career after career while she sits on the floor against the couch, resting the notepad against her legs. Finn sits right behind her on the couch itself, and eventually she finds herself sitting right between his legs, his face hovering right over her shoulder, watching her write.

"There, I think that's about it. Generally speaking of course."

"You're forgetting a couple of things," he says, taking the pen and notepad from her to write down his own additions. Standing up, she walks behind the couch to where he's sitting, taking a peak at what he wrote. She gasps when she reads the only two things he adds.

_-Wife_

_-Mother_

"What?" he says. "I've witnessed these firsthand. That doesn't mean they have to be true right now, but, it's for the future, right? You wanted to know who you are? I know for a fact that you'd be the perfect wife and a perfect mother."

It scares her, the thought of being married to someone right then and there. Who knows, despite not having a ring, there's always the possibility that she is indeed married. She can't picture herself married. It just seems, _wrong_. There's only one person she can picture herself married to and he's right next to her. Just trying to convince herself otherwise would be futile. And it's not even the fact that they've already lived a pretend marriage that makes her picture it.

No, it couldn't be, because she knows for a fact that if another man were to do what Finn did, that is take her in as his wife, she wouldn't feel the same way. Dare she say it, she was drawn to him from the beginning. She wonders for a moment, what life would be like if he didn't tell her. Maybe, they could have actually been happy living in that fantasy. Maybe, they could have had children like she pictured ages ago when the two of them were babysitting Beth.

She's a hundred percent sure that she isn't a mother, though, because her body can tell. True, she doesn't know her age, but despite looking so young with her knee socks, she knows that she has to be around twenty, when her body is at its primmest.

Finn's twenty-six, a pretty decent age she assumes. But she doesn't understand why he's settling for Lima at twenty-six. They've been talking, every day, since they've made their pact, and with each passing day, she learns more about him. Not only are the pieces of her coming together, but so are the pieces of him, and who he is. He's become more open with her, especially after Shelby. She's learns about his father, Chris. She knows about his fears of making the same mistakes his father did, especially since he used to idolize his father. She learns about Burt, with whom he has a rocky relationship with when it comes to business, but as a man and a father, he loves him to death. In fact, the reason why he left New York was to escape the pressure from his parents. He didn't want to disappoint them. She admires his sensitivity and openness, because she still hasn't forgotten that time when he was so distant towards her. It feels so nice to be able to talk with him about anything. She tells him everything too. Like how her encounter with Shelby made her lose hope, and how she wonders if they are even people out there looking for her. He's patient with her, and holds her when she cries.

Like a good friend.

A best friend even.

He's her best friend she figures, and that's why she shouldn't have these silly thoughts of kissing him when he gives her that look, and she shouldn't get butterflies in her stomach whenever he grabs her hand to hold whenever they take a nice walk around Lima. And she definitely should not be thinking about being married to him. Especially after he lied to her about being married, which she still hasn't forgiven him for, yet.

* * *

><p>Okay, so maybe she has forgiven him a tiny bit. But how can she not? He's… he's Finn. He's the guy that wins her fourteen stuffed animals at the carnival, the guy that puts up with her diva needs, the guy who has the most adorable smile in the world- a smile that makes her heart race every single time it's directed to her. He's the guy that gives her a piggybank ride all around Lima because their attempts to see if she was a professional athlete ended with her having a sprained ankle. According to Finn, her competitiveness got the better of her during what was supposed a nice game of ball. She's actually glad she's not a professional athlete, because after today, she honestly would rather watch and cheer than actually play.<p>

Since the walk back in rather extensive, far longer than her foot can handle, Finn volunteered to give her a ride on his back. She practically jumped onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs tight around his waist. She needs the support right? And she definitely would not want to fall off this 6'3 giant, so tight is the way to go. She notices how it's definitely a completely different experience seeing the world from Finn's physical point of view. Being tall certainly has its perks.

Still rather tired from the game, she rests her head on his, closing her eyes. She doesn't even mind that Finn's a bit sweaty from playing, because right now, in this moment, she can't help but to appreciate how close their bodies are right now.

"Rach?" he says.

"Yes?" she replies, still keeping her eyes closed.

"Like I said before, you can cross professional wrestler off the list too."

Immediately her eyes shoot open. "Finn! We agreed that professional wrestling was not a part of the professional athlete category, but with the-"

"Rachel, I went to high school with a girl named Lauren Zizies. Believe me when I tell you I know what a professional woman wrestler looks like."

"We can't just rule out the possibilities like that! We have to dedicate sincere time and effort, not take the easy route out. We've been doing great so far! Look, we've crossed out some of the categories already."

"That's because you stormed out during most of them."

"They weren't my calling!"

"Do you even _want_ to be a wrestler? Have you considered what you want?" he smirks at her. "Look, you want to know your talents? I tell you them right now. You can color, inside the lines even. You can cook, like seriously, you cook even better than my mom. You can clean, organize, plan. You know so many useless knowledge, like the stars. You can throw a ball at a target, but you can't bowl. Not only do you like taking pictures, but you love being in them too. Like _a lot_. You can cry on demand. You crinkle your nose when your disgusted with something, with Puck being the perfect example. You like to use hand gestures when you talk. You snore a tiny bit when you sleep. And well, you're probably one of the most beautiful person that ever lived on this planet, both inside and out."

"Finn, that's-"

"And last but not least, you're a diva. See I do know you, and this is all coming from the top of my head. Give me a moment, and I'll tell you exactly who you are."

Did he just call her a _diva_? Sure, she's pretty demanding, but how can he be so sure who she is? How can he talk like he knows her?

"Well, we'll see about that."

She may have forgiven somewhat him, but she's definitely not going to let him know that.

* * *

><p>When Finn tells her that there's no way she could be a gardener, because she couldn't even identify poison oak, she has Quinn drive her to the nearest nursery to buy flowers.<p>

She'll show him. She can very much be a gardener, and a good one for that matter. By the time he comes back from work, his whole front yard will be filled with flowers. Then she'll prove to him that she can, in fact, be a gardener.

So... maybe gardening wasn't as easy as she thought.

There's just so much... boring yard work necessary. She has the flowers, ready to be potted into the soil, but the only problem is that it's just so... dirty.

She literally has dirt in between her fingernails.

It's disgusting.

Okay, so maybe she should have used gloves, but honestly this whole nature thing, isn't for her.

But there's no way she's going to let Finn know that.

She could practically feel him smirking when he comes back home from work.

"Rachel, are you gardening? In my front yard?" he says, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Why yes, as you can see, I am," she says, gesturing at the five flowers she planted.

"You do know you're planting them wrong, right?"

"You're kidding me right now."

"No, Rach, you didn't place them close deep enough. It's better for the root if you plant them a little bit deeper. Here…" he says, coming kneeling directly behind her, placing his hands right on top off hers. "Let's replant these, shall we?"

She nods, losing herself in the feel of Finn's hands gently guiding hers, easily forgetting that she's angry at him for assuming things about her. Their hands move in unison as he has her replant each flower, properly this time.

She relaxes in the position, and evens her head against his chest. Closing her eyes, she could care less about the flowers right now. All she can think about is Finn, and the feelings stirring up inside of her whenever she's with him.

"Do you think you're ready to do this on your own?" he asks her, breaking the comfortable silence.

"No, definitely not," she replies.

"Rachel, if you don't plant the remainder of these flowers, they're going to die. I know a fact that you don't want that to happen."

Exhaling loudly, she takes one of the remaining flowers and starts to plant alone, suddenly remembering why she's angry at him. There he goes again! How can Finn say these things like he knows her, when she doesn't even know who she is herself?

"Here, I'll even help you," he says, also taking a flower to plant. "It will be much faster if I just plant them all while you water them. You see that hose over there? You did buy a watering can right? Go fill it up with water."

Complying, she takes the watering can and walks towards the hose. Turning it on, she jumps back when the hose starts to jerk out of control. Immediately turning it off, she frowns when she notices that her shirt got slightly wet from the stupid hose. The water is cold, immediately sending shivers towards her body.

Suddenly, the sinister side of her takes over. Filling the watering can like Finn told her, she loosely places the lid on top before she heads back over to him.

"I got the water Finn!" she exclaims to him as she sits down next to him. "Now what do I do?"

"Just pour the water over them, slowly."

"Like this?" she asks, angling the watering can in such an extreme way that the cold water inevitably spills all over Finn.

"What the hell Rachel!" he screams, standing up while she dies from laughter. "You did that on purpose!"

"I did no such thing! You said so yourself, there's no way I could be a gardener. If that's the case, how was I supposed to know how to use a watering can?"

"Oh it is on Rachel. It is on," he says.

"Oh it most def-" she starts, but gets distracted by the muscles that are showing through Finn's white shirt. She can see just how tone and fit he really is. And to make it worse, he takes off his shirt, revealing his broad chest and traces of his abdominal muscles. She's too busy staring at his perfect body that she doesn't even see the man sprinkle soil in her hair.

"Finn!" she shrieks. "You just put soil in my hair!"

"You mean like is?" he says, repeating the action.

"You little-" annoyed by his laughter, she tackles him straight to the ground, grabbing his arms, she pins him down. His laughter dies down.

"Okay maybe I was wrong, maybe you can be a professional wrestler. You're pretty strong." Using his own strength, he rolls the two of them over so that's he's on top. "But not strong enough."

Smirking, she uses her energy to roll over them over again, licking her lips as she feels his chest pressed to her.

"Whoa whoa whoa! What the fuck are you two doing?" Pucks says as he approaches the two of them.

"Oh, okay, I see now," he continues. "Yeah, me and Quinn tried that position before, it's okay I guess, but if you really want to get a good scream, you gotta-"

"Noah! Enough with the crude language!"

"What? It's bound to happen any day now. Looks like you guys proved me wrong. I knew you guys were in love, but now even I have to admit, that something's changed in the both of you. You both look, look married. Hey Rachel, maybe now you can finally move out so Quinn and I can have sex without her worrying about you hearing us."

"Dude!"

"Alright, alright, but I'm just here to let you know that you got the privilege of spending time with Pucksaurus tomorrow, for that 'shadowing' thingy, so you better be prepared. So until then, have fun you two, but don't come to me for 'protection' advice, Q and I don't role like that."

"Good-bye Noah."

"Alright, alright, I get it, I'll leave you two alone."

"Can you believe him? I swear, sex is the only thing he thinks about."

"Eh, yeah, but he's one of the lucky ones. He's got a wife, a child, he has a family."

"Finn, you-"

"I gotta go," he says, standing up. "I'll… I'll see you around Rach."

She can tell Finn's jealous of Puck, or rather what he has- a family with a promising future. She knows Finn wants to have a family someday. God, she can picture him being such an amazing father to beautiful kids. She knows he gets really insecure, and how he's really scared of the future, and how he's worried that he has no direction in life.

And that bothers her so much. He's so special, and he doesn't even know it.

But she does.

She knows Finn. He doesn't even have to tell her all these things. She just knows him.

Then it dawns on her that maybe Finn knows her just like she knows him.

* * *

><p>"So Rachel, how has the career search been going?"<p>

"I'd say it's going pretty well Doctor Schue. I mean, there were certainly things that I am talented with, and of course, there's the things that just don't suit me. I just don't know if I found the one."

"Who says there has to be just one? Some of these things can be hobbies and hobbies are a part of who you are too. Rachel, there so many things that make you the person that you are. I know you're looking for who you are, but ask anyone here, I bet you they'll tell you who you are."

"No offense Doctor Schue, but they'll only say who they _think_ I am. They don't know me Doctor Schue, they don't know _all_ of me. I mean, when I shadowed Puck, all he could say was that I had to be Jewish, because of my nose. It helps a little, I guess," she explains.

"I know you're here to shadow me, but be honest with me, do you want to be a doctor?"

She shakes her head.

"Then how about a check-up then? Go take a seat."

Taking his stethoscope, he places the end right on her head.

"Doctor Schue-"

"Shhh, I'm listening."

Nodding his head, he moves the stethoscope from her head right to her heart.

"I see…" he says as removes the stethoscope from his ears, wrapping it back around his neck.

"Rachel, I think I know what your problem is. You see, there's so much going on with your head, that it's fighting with your heart. Now your job, is to get them to agree. Either find out which one is right, or find the compromise."

* * *

><p>Doctor Schue must be crazy. No, her body organs are certainly not in a battle with another. That's ridiculous. Her real problem is amnesia. She lost her memory for crying out loud!<p>

But why would he say that? Why would her head be fighting with her heart?

Then she see it. She sees him, she sees Finn everywhere. She sees him coloring with her in the hospital, she sees him holding her hand in the car, she sees him kissing her twenty steps east right under the brightest shining star, she sees him taking pictures of the both of them for him to hang, she sees him. She sees Finn. More importantly, she sees Finn with _her_.

But the problem is, she doesn't know if it's her head that sees him, or her heart.

She needs to talk to him, she needs to find out. She needs to know.

Making her way towards Finn's, she's surprised to see an unfamiliar car parked in front of it. Walking closer, she immediately sees Finn, and in front of him are two unfamiliar people, both obviously not from Lima. Their car is pretty fancy and well, expensive-looking as well, with New York written on the license plate.

They must be his parents, they're Carole and Burt.

They must have come to get him, to convince him to leave Lima and come back to New York.

But he can't leave her! He can't… they made a deal! He's supposed to help her! He.. he can't leave her. Oh but he's just her friend, right? A friend would want what's best for another friend. No, no! What is she going to do without him, though? What is she going to do? She's just so... Conflicted.

_Either find out which one is right, or find the compromise._

Maybe, Doctor Schue had a point.

Quickly, she runs straight towards him. When they finally meet face to face, she takes the time to look at him, really look at him.

She just really needs to know.

Before she knows it, she stands on her tiptoes and cups his face, and presses her lips against his.

It's short, and brief, but it means so, so so much.

They stare into each other's eyes, her hands still cupping his face.

"Excuse me?" says a soft voice from behind. Turning around, she sees the eyes of his parents glued on her. "I'm sorry but, don't think we've met before."

"Mom, this is-"

"I'm Rachel, Rachel Hudson. I'm… I'm his wife."

_TBC_

* * *

><p><em>AN: A cliff hanger! What is exactly is going on in Rachel's headheart? Reviews and speculations are very much appreciated! Thank you all for all your support, and stay tuned!_


	8. Burt and Carole

"I'm Rachel, Rachel Hudson. I'm… I'm his wife."

Did he just hear her right? Did Rachel just call herself his _wife_?

_Her name's Rachel, Rachel Hudson. She's… she's my wife._

No, he's not going down this route, not again.

"Rachel, what are you doing? Mom, she's not my-"

"Shh Finn," Rachel interrupts, placing her arm on his arm, giving it a squeeze. "Babe, I think they deserve the right to know."

What the hell is she doing?

First, she comes out of nowhere and kisses him. She freaking kissed him for crying out loud! Does she not know how long it's been since they've actually kissed? Right before he told her the truth? Does she not know how often he thinks about kissing her? Then, to make it worse she goes and tells his parents that she's Mrs. Hudson!

It was stupid of him to think that she would actually kiss him because she liked him. How could she? He's just that dude who can't live up to anything. A loser no doubt. She obviously has some sort of plan, and for once, he has no idea what it is.

"Finn, you _married_ someone? Without telling us? Without telling _me_?" Carole asks, evidently hurt.

"Please, don't get mad at Finn. It was my idea to elope. I just wanted to keep it private. I apologize if I offended your family in any way," Rachel pleads.

"This is nonsense," Burt finally says.

"Burt…" Carole starts.

"No Carole, I need to set something straight here. Finn, you flat out left us without telling us where the hell you were going. We had to find out from a friend of yours, Mike, that you were in some place out in place called Lima. Then, when we finally do find you, out in the middle of nowhere, we find out that you're married."

Finn tenses up, hating himself for once again disappointing his family. "Mom, Burt, Rachel and I are not-"

"With all due respect, Mr. Hummel, I don't think now would be a good time and place to discuss this. Why don't you and your wife come inside and make yourself at home. I'll go fix up some brunch, and then we can converse then. Here, Finn and I will bring in your bags, we'll be there in a second."

Burt, who exhales loudly, agrees and follows Carole towards the front door.

"What are you doing?" he whispers to Rachel once his parents are out of range.

Once again, she places her hands on his face, bringing them down so that their eyes meet. "Trust me Finn, if we're lucky, we can kill more than one bird with just this one little stone," she winks. "Figuratively, you know I would never support animal abuse." With that, she slides her hands down his face, leaving that lingering affect, and walks towards the car to get the bags.

She has no idea what she does to him.

He grips tightly to the handles of the bags as he steps into his house, having no clue what to do next. Yes, he pretended married to Rachel before, and it was totally awesome, yet heartbreaking. But this time... well the fact that she's in on it too makes it even worse than it was before.

Because, now they're both pretending.

The moment he gets inside, he catches his mom gazing at all the pictures of him and Rachel he has up on display. She smiles at the cute ones, chuckles at the silly ones, she even picks up the framed picture of him and her at the carnival and stares at as if she's analyzing every detail.

He doesn't see why his mom's making a big deal out of a couple of pictures. It's totally normal to have pictures of your best friend all over your house, right?

But his mom doesn't know that; she thinks it's _their_ house, and these are pictures of a married couple, not two friends.

* * *

><p>It's dead silent at the table.<p>

"You aren't wearing any rings," Carole says, breaking the silence. "Both of you, I mean. You're both not wearing wedding rings."

It all sounds too familiar. The fact that they don't have any rings, so now they have to make up a story of why there isn't a ring their left ringer fingers. It's pretty much the same, with the two of them only being pretend married.

Only this time, it's not.

Now, her body's pressed into his side as they sit next to each other. Her hand is holding his as their joint hands rest on his thigh, right under the table where no one can see. And all this stuff is _familiar_. Since they've became closer, they've been doing all this even before his mom and Burt came. But he doesn't know if this is as natural for her as it is for him. For all he knows, this all be a part of her act.

"Well Finn and I were very spontaneous when we eloped, so it didn't even cross our minds to buy rings then," this time, Rachel's the one explains. She practically tells them exactly what they want to know. And it's almost exactly like what he told her back when he was trying to convince her that they were married.

At first.

But there's truth to her stories.

She tells them about her accident, and how he 'chivalrously' took care of her, but she's leaves out the amnesia part of it all. Rachel calls their adventures 'dates,' and goes into specific detail with each one. His mom especially becomes invested in these stories, and even adds in her own comments as well. She and Rachel dissolve into their own little conversation, with him being the main subject. He knew his mom would love Rachel, but he didn't expect them to be so… so… family-like within only a couple of minutes. They're already laughing their heads off, and his mom's hand is even touches Rachel's shoulder for a moment. They're so casual about it too, easily talking about when Finn had poison oak. He didn't even know Rachel knew or could remember all this stuff about him. And the whole time, they're like, in a totally different light. There's a gleam in both of their eyes, and Rachel sounds honest and sincere, even when she's supposedly keeping a lie.

"Just the other day actually, I was helping Finn fix the Mayor Figgins' car for the second time. That old thing sure does get broken a lot. Anyways, I was just sitting on the hood, handing him whatever tool he needed, when all of a sudden-"

"Oh, so you fix cars for a living here as well," Burt, who had long been silent, snaps. Finn was so focused on watching Rachel interact with his mom that he had forgotten all about Burt. Rachel immediately drops the conversation and presses even closer to Finn, gripping his hand.

"Well that's sorta true, I'm Lima's mechanic," Finn replies.

"I see, so you left my company to go fix cars here in this small town. I don't get it Finn. I thought we were on the same page. I thought, I thought that you were going to take over the company once I retire. Even since you started, you've been working your way toward the top. Now that you were almost there, you chickened out, and-"

"Did you ever think that maybe I don't want to take over the company, Burt? You were the one who would always assume that I would, and for so long, I agreed because fixing cars was one of the only things I was good at. But then you started pressuring me into taking over, and I didn't want to disappoint you guys. Face it, I'm not like Kurt; unlike him, my dreams are dead. Do you want to know why I left? I left New York because I couldn't do anything worth living there. Truth is, I don't even belong in New York. It's a place for dreamers. At least in Lima, I can live a steady life." Standing up, he resists the urge to kick his chair, and starts heading towards the door. That is until he sound of Burt's chair screech across the floor.

"Finn Hudson," Burt calls, his voice breaking. "You listen to me, and you listen good. How dare you even think about downgrading yourself? Do you know why I wanted you to take over? I knew, that with you at the top, you would kill the competition. I knew you are the best man for the job. But," he says, his voice softening, "I do owe you an apology."

"What?"

"Finn, above everything else, you are my son before my successor, and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like it was the other way around. I want you know Finn, that I am proud of you, we all are. I'm tough on you, because I know you're meant to do great things. You will do great things, Finn. I know it. Come here son," Burt ends softly. Slowly, Finn heads over to his father figure and embraces him.

"I care about you Finn. All I want is for you to be happy, but hey, it seems to me that you found that happiness in someone else," pulling away, Burt goes to Rachel and extends his hand.

"Mrs. Hudson, I'm afraid we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Burt Hummel, and I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you," Burt says as he shakes her hand.

"The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Hummel."

"Oh please! Call me Burt!" The older man now embraces her, much to her surprise. She hugs back for a moment, before they both pull away.

"A toast," Carole says, lifting her coffee, "to Rachel. Rachel dear, welcome to the family."

* * *

><p>"Finn, your parents are amazing. You know, you're pretty lucky to have a family like that."<p>

She's sitting on the counter, drying the dishes he hands to her as he takes care of washing them.

"Yeah, I am. You know, they really like you."

She smiles, as if she's been dying to hear that all day.

"I really like them too. They're the only clear picture of a family that I've seen. They're... they're the closest thing I have to a family."

He gently drops the plate he was washing in the sink and turns to her. He's happy that Rachel's made a good relationship with his mom, that she has someone to be that mother figure for her in the place of Shelby. But they're lying to his parents. And that brings up another good point. Why? Why are they pretending to be a married couple? Does she want his family? She does fit in nicely. But then it would be all in vain. No, it has to be something else.

Because even without his parents here, she still has that gleam in her eye.

Turning the water off, he stands right in front of her.

"You know, before we became a family, we were two separate ones. Rach, look around you. Here in Lima, we're all one family. We may not all be related, but look at us. Sure we piss each other off all the time and pull pranks on each other, but that's what families do. They get on each other's nerves, but they're forced to stick together no matter what. We might look completely different, but in a way, we're a family."

She smiles at him and ruffles his hair with her hand. "You're really special, do you know that?"

Again, she has no reason to do or say all that, not when it's just the two of them, and he wonders why.

"Stop it," he only somewhat jokes.

"I mean it Finn, you are special, and you don't even realize it."

He becomes lost in her eyes again, and his heart melts. He hears that from everyone, from his mom, from Burt, but it means so much hearing it from her. He just can't stop the feelings that are burning inside of him because of her.

"You're really special yourself Rach, and I mean it." He kisses her temple, intending it to be a simply friendly little peck. Except it sends his heart soaring.

"Thank you," she smiles at him, before biting her lower lip.

And of course, that pulling attraction force he feels whenever he's with her isn't helping.

With a new confidence suddenly taking over him, he leans closer to her.

You're really talented too," he says in a husky voice as he leans forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "And beautiful," kissing her nose, then rubbing his own nose against it, earning a giggle from her.

He's definitely crossing over the friendship line, he knows it. But, didn't a certain someone tell him that it good that he colored outside the lines? Didn't she say, back in the hospital room ever so long ago, that his coloring of Beast was special, _because_ he colored over the lines? He and Rachel could very much be a part of something special.

He smiles at her as he rests his forehead against hers, looking at her earnestly.

"Well, keep going," she says, making him smirk.

"Oh, well you're-" he begins before she puts her hand to his chest, signaling him to stop.

"I was talking about something else," she whispers in his ear when the, sending shivers throughout his body.

He then starts pressing kissing along the side of her neck, finding himself standing in between her legs while she's still sitting on the counter. He only kisses her neck harder when her legs wrap around his waist and her hands start running through his hair, pulling him even closer.

"You're ammmazing too," he says against her neck, emphasizing the 'm' sound so that his lips vibrate against her neck, earning a little moan in return.

He totally does not hear the door back door open.

"Well we're back from that lovely walk around Lima and what the heck is going on here?"

They both jump at the sound of Burt's voice. She immediately pushes him away and gets off of the counter. She's blushing just as much as he is. It's as if they were two teenagers caught in the act.

"Oh relax Burt, they're married for heaven's sake," his mom says, smiling.

"Burt, Carole, umm… Finn and I weren't expecting you to be coming back so soon," Rachel says, straightening her skirt with her hands.

She's wasn't expecting them, therefore she had no idea they would catch them in the middle of that… situation. Plus, she's keeping a slight distance from him now.

If that's the case, then her response to his kisses wasn't a part of her 'Mrs. Hudson' plan then. She must have been out of character since it was a personal and private affair.

_They weren't pretending._

But after watching her all day, he notices that there's _no_ difference between Rachel Hudson and the Rachel he knows, other than a last name.

"Well, it's not like there was much to see," Burt says in reply to Rachel.

"We did, however, get an idea. After realizing that the two of you have yet to have a celebration in honor of your wedding, we decided to throw a little party right here in your front yard! We've already invited everyone in town, and it's settled for eight o'clock tonight," Carole smiles, oblivious to Finn and Rachel's matching shocked faces.

"You did what?" Finn asks.

"You told everyone that we were married? What did they say?" Rachel asks frantically.

"Everyone was super excited! Especially your neighbor, Puck I believe. Yes, he was so happy that he's even allowing the party to spread to his front yard as well."

"This can't be happening," Finn mumbles.

"Now," Carole says, clapping her hands together, "if we want this party to be up and running by eight, we better get started now. Burt, Finn, you two set up while Rachel and I prepare the food. I'm using every opportunity I can to get to know my beautiful daughter-in-law. Now come on, chop chop!"

"Rachel, I," Finn starts before he is dragged away by Burt.

"Come on boy! You two will have plenty of time for that later."

How did his life become so complicated?

* * *

><p>He doesn't really see Rachel until the party is officially in full swing.<p>

She's standing way over on the opposite side of the party from where he is.

Her eyes light up when she finally sees him. She smiles at him before she starts walking towards him.

They meet each other halfway.

"Hey you," she says softly to him.

"Hey Rach, cool party huh?" Finn says, earning a suggestive whistle from Puck, who was walking by.

He's relieved that everyone at the party is either keeping their lie for their sakes. Doctor Schue, whom Finn was certain would reveal their lie, keeps sending winks towards them.

"Do you want to get out of here? Just for a bit?" she asks him.

"Yeah, sure."

She links here arm around his and leads him away from the party, right into the backyard. Twenty steps east to be exact, right under the brightest shining star.

"You remember don't you?" she asks. "Our first date?"

He smiles just knowing that she still considers it their first date.

"How could I forget?"

They sit down on the next side by side with her head resting on his shoulder.

"I have a confession to make," she says over the loud music that's playing on the other side of the house. "At first, when I first saw your parents, I thought they were going to force you to leave Lima, and I tried convincing myself that the reason why that bothered me so much was because you were my partner on my 'journey,' you were supposed to help me. But then, I kissed you, and with that simple kiss alone, everything was starting to become clearer. I realized that I don't want you to leave _me_. I know I'm always telling you that you're meant for bigger things outside of Lima, which is true, but Finn, if you do leave, I need you to take me with you."

He turns towards her, looking at her honest face.

"But why Rachel, why are you telling me this?"

"Because Finn, I've been listening," she then takes his hand, and much like she did when they first met, places it on her head. "Listening here," she says before placing their joint hands on her heart, "and here."

Their joint hands never do leave her heart.

"And while I once initially thought that they were battling each other, I realized that they both want the same thing. _You_. When I'm with you, I don't have to be Rachel Hudson, or Rachel Corcoran, or Rachel Blank. I can just be myself, the person that I've been trying to be. I feel terrible, lying to Burt and Carole, but now, in a way, I understand how you were feeling when you lied to me. All of this, all of us, back then even until now, is real. I just can't stop thinking about you and the memories that we've made together. To think, we can still make so many more memories, both the good and the bad, and with them, we can grow together. I want to be with you Finn."

"You want to be with me? Like a real couple?"

"I really do," she nods, "because, you make me feel-"

He cuts her right off then and there with a kiss. He knows exactly how she feels, it's the same feeling he has towards her, it's the same feeling he's always been feeling for her ever since they've met.

She immediately responds to the kiss as well, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer. Their kisses only become more passionate as they lie down on the grass and continue to kiss for as long as time will allow them.

They just can't get enough of each other.

Kisses are very much underrated, as are hugs. Far too many people underestimate the intimacy of simple kiss or hug. But that's impossible with Rachel. Because now, with every kiss and hug, he can't help but to feel connected on an entirely different level.

He sucks her bottom lip as she runs her hands up and down his back. No doubt their lips are already swollen and their hair must be a mess.

Yet that doesn't stop them.

Her tongue begs for an entrance which he more than happily accepts. She moves her lips to his neck this time, and marks him as hers.

Then, as she hovers over him, she gives him the most beautiful smile in the world.

Eventually, they just continue to lie on the grass. Her body is lying on top of his and they just spend the time looking at each other.

It's all very much similar to their first date, only this time, there's no lies or secrets feelings between them.

They're both at their most vulnerable, but honestly he wouldn't have it any other way.

He cups her face with his hand and strokes her cheek with his thumb.

"Do you hear that?" she asks.

"Hear what?"

"The music, it's a slow song."

He's totally forgotten all about their party, which and Rachel should be at.

"Oh yeah, we should probably go back to that. It is technically our wedding reception. Come on." He stands up himself, helping Rachel up as well.

"Wait! Finn, dance with me first."

Convincing her otherwise is pointless, so he surrenders, and uses it as an opportunity to hold her close as he sways off-beat.

"What are your dreams Rachel?"

This takes her by surprise.

"I'm not sure, but I know now what I want to be. I think I've known for a while. I want to be a star, and shine as bright as the ones up there."

"You already are a star. I'm pretty sure I told you that the last time we were here." Doesn't she see it? She is a star.

Then it hits him.

"You could be a performer Rachel. Don't you see it? You're really good at acting! Remember the carnival? You really good at dancing too. Rach, you have the natural grace of being a performer!"

She smiles at him. "You're right Finn! It does seem fitting! I mean, show business does sound appealing! I… I can see it. But what about you Finn? What about your dreams?"

"I don't know Rach, I just, don't know how to dream big. Like I said, all my dreams are dead. Take football for example, that didn't work out. Neither did the Army."

"I think you do know Finn, deep down, you do. But we're going to figure it out together, okay? Both of our dreams, we'll get it all sorted out."

She looks up at him and smiles before she kisses him as the song fades.

* * *

><p>"Finn, you've found yourself a keeper," Carole tells him. "I mean it sweetheart, she's the one for you. A mother knows these things. She knows when her son as found the love of his life."<p>

"Yeah, Rachel's super awesome. She means so much to me; I mean, she saved me."

His mom tears up at his words. He wonders why is mom wanted to speak to him in private. Even though he and Rachel are officially together (and just the thought alone makes his heart soar,) they've decided against telling his parents the truth.

"I know honey. I've known her for less than a day and I already love her like the daughter I've always wanted. And I know that the love between you two will flourish even after the end of forever. Which is why, I wanted to give you this."

She then takes out a little box from her pocket and opens it.

He can't believe it. It's his mom's old ring. It's the ring his dad gave to her, and it's still as elegant as ever.

"I was waiting until I knew you had found the right woman before I gave you this. When Mike told us about you, he mentioned you were in love, and call it mother's intuition, but I had a good feeling about her, which is why I brought the ring here. But you beat me to it and married her! Nonetheless, I want you to give this to Rachel when your heart tells you it's time. I may have let you slide easy this time, but I expect you two to renew your vows sometime in the future. Oh, and Burt and I will not be the ones to break the news to Kurt. Knowing your brother, I do not want to be a part of that mess."

"Mom," he's tearing up now as he hugs his dear mother. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"Burt, Carole, it's no problem at all. Finn and I will take the floor, and the two of you can take the bed. It's no big deal."<p>

But it is a big deal, because since they're still playing husband and wife, they're going to have to share the same bed together.

Or rather the floor.

They're obviously not going to have any heavy make-out sessions with his parents right there, but it's still a huge step in their relationship.

Rachel whom, despite living at Quinn's, still keeps the majority of her clothes and possessions at his house, easily prepares for bed before taking the place next to him on the floor.

"Goodnight Finn," she yawns.

"Goodnight Rach," he smiles as he casually leans in and kisses her goodnight. Naturally, they both lean in for another one.

An hour into the night, Burt's already snoring and the weather's unusually cold. Not to mention the fact that Rachel is too far away for his liking.

Hoping his movements wouldn't wake her, he gently takes her in his arms and pulls her closer to him and holds her close.

"About time," she mumbles to his surprise, and she puts her arms around him and moves closer to him.

He's got to say, after that, he probably received the best sleep he has ever gotten in his life.

And it's all thanks to petite woman sleeping just as peacefully in his arms.

_TBC_

* * *

><p><em>AN: Looking's like Finn and Rachel are starting to figure things out... for now.<em>

_Review!_


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